So...


I must have complete silence and be at desk or table when working on bills/taxes/studying. When I'm painting or sketching landscapes, I can be virtually anywhere, and I must listen to certain music to get my creative juices flowing.

Mapmaking.... I've tried most everything. Music off, music on, different types of music.... each of these things while at my desk, or at the table, sitting on my sofa with my laptop, curled up on a beanbag chair in a corner... inside, outside, lights on, lights off, lights dimmed.... I've tried turning on a television in the background... rapidly turning it off again.

Nothing helps. I keep getting frustrated, overwhelmed and distracted.

So I got curious. What do you do (environmentally) while mapping. How do you set up your workspace? Is there anything you *must* have (or must not)?

How on earth do you guys manage to focus on these maps for weeks (months! years!) at a time, to get them so perfect??

So... yeah. That's my question. What's your cartography workspace like?