The idea is that the works are large editions to keep the price down. Artworks include photos, prints, drawings, paintings, artbooks, etc. Simple small things that’ll make great gifts for friends, family or just for you. We aim to create a sense of excitement about next month’s artwork – a surprise and a new artistic discovery every month. We produce the works on commission with awesome artists, we pay the artists a fee and we are building a sustainable project with our club members. Edition number is based on order of subscription, so first in best dressed!

Help us make this happen by sharing this link on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.

SHARE NOW! http://bit.ly/artboxioclub

Join Now and get your friends to join too!

The more people we have the better the artist fees we can pay!

Last year, we joined a small but dedicated group of companies who are working to shift the meaning and future of business, by seeking B Corp certification. Electron Workshop, through our umbrella company Arktisma, is proud to announce that we’re one of the founding B Corporations in Australia and New Zealand!

What’s a B Corp and why is it important? B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. You could think about B Corp certification being to sustainable business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee. To learn more, or consider gaining certification for your business, check out http://bcorporation.net/

Unlimited hotdesk = $200/m!

It’s 2015, and it’s time to get busy!

To get you out of your spare room, out of the coffee shop, out of that boring day job, Electron Workshop has slashed our HotDesk pricing from this January. Come and join our community of entrepreneurs, creatives and freelancers and get started on that project you’ve always dreamed about. The pricing is simple: $20 per day or $200 per month for unlimited weekdays, 8:30am – 5:30pm.

You get: our awesome high speed internet and Wi-Fi; your choice of desk, beer hall table or beanbag; bike parking and showers; freshly ground coffee and the company of awesome people in our beautifully air-conditioned oasis in North Melbourne.

Just bring yourself and your laptop, and get shit done!

After experiencing a week at a prestigious multinational advertising firm last year, I decided that I needed to try the flipside. While I’ve always excelled at school and appeared to be on the trajectory of finding success down traditional employment paths, recently I’ve found this prospect growingly uninteresting, unchallenging and underwhelming. A few weeks ago, I suddenly realized that instead of hunting for ever more glossy corporate PR statements that offer me short term comfort in traditional career prospects, I should try to experience something completely radical and innovative. A coworking space.

Over the last few years I’ve been teaching myself web development and digital design. I’ve also been self-educating myself on entrepreneurship and business. Along with these subjects comes something that cannot be taught, it’s something that taps deep into your hard wiring and something that you have to choose to connect with, it’s a philosophy. The philosophy of technology and startups. A philosophy based on freedom, hard work and collaboration. This philosophy is something that has grown on me more and more and the ideas and values that this philosophy has spawned inside of me where first validated during my experience at Electron Workshop.

My name is John Strentz and the week I spent at Electron Workshop was probably the most life affirming thing that I’ve ever done. I now know that the people I’ve dreamed of working with are actually real, the environment I require to reach my full potential exists and the ideals and values I hold closest are not only shared and rational, but being lived out by real people every day. During my week I completed research for events and projects being run by the Workshop, met and spoke with awesome people (literally, awe inducing people) and got to tag along to super cool meetings and events. Before I went in the door on the Monday, I already knew I was going to have an incredible time, yet even with these already high expectations, Electron Workshop managed to surprise me, it was so much better than what I thought was possible.

The first thing that surprised me was the generosity and integrity of the people I met. Depictions of entrepreneurs as egocentric and self-centered are the norm and I’ve always found this to be the part of startup culture that most troubles me, so I was really happy when I found that the people I met at the Workshop where not really like this at all. While coworking carries a liberal vibe and individual freedom is a core value, personal integrity and sharing is just as important. In hindsight, it should have been obvious that generosity and integrity are core values of coworkers, many people who have opted to join a coworking environment have left or are avoiding “corporate culture” where people have a second agenda and organizational politics are at play. Because the people in a coworking environment have nothing to gain from hurting or manipulating each other, but everything to gain from creating a collaborative and friendly workplace, relationships are organic, honest and real, never forced.

Early on during the week, I was advised that one of the best questions I could ask when talking to people is, “what is success?” I immediately asked this question to the person who had offered me that advice. The reply I got was pure gold. “Success is finding a balance between intrinsic desires and extrinsic demands.” This comfortable balance is something that each individual must find for themselves. Some of us are more driven by our greater visions and other individualistic motivations, while some of us play the popularity contest and live life based on advice from others. Wherever you decide you can comfortably sit on the scale ranging from “fully intrinsic” to “fully extrinsic” is a legitimate place. The most important part is understanding that the battle of finding this place is a lifelong battle, a battle that is dynamic, ever evolving and never won. In this sense, success is an emotion that is felt in moments of ceasefire.

I’ve always understood businesses to be the vehicle towards a vision. Businesses are a solution to a market’s problem. Therefore I was surprised that a number of projects operating out of Electron Workshop were non-business. An important lesson I’ve learnt from this is that a business is only one of many vehicles to a vision. Other vehicles include, but are not limited to, art projects, social projects, events, workshops, non-profit enterprise, religious projects and awareness campaigns. In our capitalist world, operating a for-profit business seems to be the default vehicle, but sometimes other vehicles are much more appropriate. As an aspiring entrepreneur, the realization that there are so many more solutions to problems other than business and monetization, shook me to the core. It is interesting to consider that entrepreneurs as a community may have trapped ourselves into thinking that business is the only solution platform we have, I don’t think it is. We must think outside the square and look to the dozens of options other than business, (such as the ones listed above,) that are available to us when considering how best to execute the many ideas and realize the many visions that we have.

My week at Electron Workshop really was the most life affirming experience I’ve ever taken part in. I’d like to thank everyone who spoke to me, for giving up their valuable time and energy and sharing their invaluable ideas and philosophies. Everyone I spoke to was inspiring and has given me enough food for thought to keep me full for many months to come. I look forward to the day when I can be in their position, helping to pass on the values and wealth of knowledge to the next generation of entrepreneurs, coworkers and ass kickers.

When? 4:30pm.

Looking forward to this one!

Dusk Till Dawn time

Don’t miss out on the next one! ~Valahalla Social Cinema

The Political Economy of Health Special Interest Group (PEH SIG) of the Public Health Association of Australia presents a two-day pre-conference workshop – The Global Health Crisis: Understanding the Causes – Exploring Solutions – at the Electron Workshop on Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 September.

Learn about the political economy of health, nationally and globally.

Both days: Political Economy of Health SIG members/students: $120; others $140
Single day: PEH SIG members and students: $60; others $70
(fees include morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea)

Workshop information: http://www.phaa.net.au/42nd_Annual_Conf_SIGWorkshops.php

To book : https://weteachme.com/electronworkshop/pha-political-economy-of-health-sig

For those of you who missed out last time, OpenTechSchool will be re-running another workshop of Introduction to Programming, using the Python programming language to give a gentle introduction to the basics of computer programming. Whether you’ve got dreams of building a software empire or you are just a little curious about what all those programmers get up to we’ll give you a taste of how things work, Python-style. OpenTechSchool workshops are at-your-own-pace, with lots of coaches who are professional programmers themselves to give encouragement and guide you over the common pitfalls that many face when just starting out.

More info: https://weteachme.com/electronworkshop/opentechschool

Valhalla Social Cinema 

Women’s Workshop Grant #2: The Election Workshop is pleased to announce that applications are now being sought for round two of our Women’s Workshop Grant! This grant highlights our commitment to supporting women in technology and the startup community, and aims to enhance women’s reputation in the tech industry and connect women with a wider network of tech organisations. Applications close Monday 30 September 2013. Spread the word!

Learning Tea Break // The Art of Coffee Making: Last week we had Daniel Cardamone of Autosystems sharing his knowledge of and passion for coffee making. Daniel’s family has been in the restaurant business for years and, as a chip off the old block, showed us the secrets to coffee making over delicious biscotti.

International Coworking Day: Coworking might be an unfamiliar concept to many but it’s taking the world by storm. In Australia the number of co-working facilities has grown by over 500 per cent in the past two years to 65! We pulled out the ole coworking manifesto on ICD to learn what it was all about (and celebrated over Happy Hour of course!).

The Birth of Bespoke: From hobby to agency, check out Jason Mun’s blog post on the launch of his latest project, Bespoke.

Serendipity and the Art of Non-Disclosure: Hamish Crittenden of Melbourne Made shares the joys and hurdles of his latest project, Flinders.

Free Co-working Fridays: Coworking at the Electron Workshop on Fridays continues to be free & open to those who have not yet had the opportunity to work in the space. Email jeanette [-at-] electron workshop dot com dot au if you’re interested in visiting for the day. Fridays at Electron Workshop are a great opportunity to come and meet new people.

Upcoming Events

Valhalla Social Cinema HORROR & FANTASY marathon September 7: VSC is back this weekend with cool program of horror & fantasy film. Old Masters vs the New: laughs aplenty balanced by healthy, old-fashioned screams. Last chance for tickets!

PHA Political Economy of Health: The Political Economy of Health Special Interest Group of the Public Health Association of Australia presents a two-day pre-conference workshop at the Electron Workshop on September 14 & 15 on The Global Health Crisis: Understanding the Causes – Exploring Solutions. Learn about the political economy of health, nationally and globally. Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity.

Melbourne Podcasters: Want to get a podcasting project off the ground? Would you like to find collaborators or help someone to start their own podcast? This group aims to provide a place for people to meet and make connections, and learn and share knowledge about podcasts. When? 6pm September 17. Book here.

OpenTechSchool #5: OpenTechSchool is back on September 21. Stay tuned for more info.

FOA Film Night (www.fixed.org.au): FOA is back on September 28. Watch this space.

Melbourne Fringe Festival // The Digital Anniversary: Home Sweet Theater’s The (Digital) Anniversary will take place at the Electron Workshop during the 2013 Melbourne Fringe Festival. The play is a modern take on Anton Chekhov’s The Anniversary, having adapted this Russian classic to the modern day workplace of the Electron Workshop. More info here.

New Workshop Members: We are excited to welcome aboard our latest member, Luke Lornie, who works as a landscape photographer. Alastair Pharo and Nathan Keatch have also upgraded to permanent memberships this month! Check out our members page for more info.

Join Us! Looking for a fresh and inspiring work environment? We currently have casual and permanent desks available – for more info on how to become a member of our growing community, check out http://www.electronworkshop.com.au/join/

Check out the action at Electron Workshop on our blog.

Ciao!

Jeanette

The Electron Workshop is offering one recipient a free full-time desk with 24hr access for six months, along with an ongoing 20% discount for nine months thereafter – a great opportunity to experience the unique collaborative environment of the Electron Workshop, and to be amongst like-minded people working in technology. We would like applicants to utilise the space as much as possible and engage with the Electron Workshop community through contributing blog posts. Recipients will have an opportunity to meet and discuss their projects with fellow members during our lunchtime learning sessions. We understand flexibility may be needed, as applicants may need to do other work to finance their project.  The membership may be used with some degree of flexibility to reduce impact of other work commitments.  The grant is valued at $3978.

Applications close Monday 30 September 2013.

Spread the word!

More info.