The Beast Rears Its Nasty Head Again

That beast being—motivation. Maybe its just the season, maybe its bills or taxes, or stress. Low periods in our life come and go, and what matters is how do we pull ourself out of it.



How Do I Fix That? Try Something New.
I found this tutorial site, teamtreehouse.com, it combines the usefulness of educational tutorials and the joy of competition and social media. I have only done the "free" challenges so far, but I plan on buying the plan because their challenges and videos appeal to me. This site could actually help me learn new skills and remember them.

Joined a Book Club
Not only does this get me to read books I would have never read, but also it gets me out of little bubble. It is out of character of me to join a club, especially when I don't know anyone. Part of the troubles of being an introvert, but challenging myself to try something new can be invigorating. It takes me out of comfort zone, yeah its intimidating, but I am better for it in the end.

Not Where You Want to Be?

One thing I have very little of? Patience. My husband teases me all the time for my lack of patience. When you get out of school most of us have this big shiny dreams of doing something fantastic with our lives and careers, but many of us (especially with the recession) fell on our faces. Many college students are moving back home with mom and dad, and taking jobs that they are over qualified for. It can be a difficult pill to swallow each day when you are not where you thought you would be on your career path.

I too have felt the familiar sting of looking at my path, and I haven't felt like I have lived up to my potential. It can be hard to take when I see my fellow graduates who have moved onto careers at top agencies, design firms, and some have been brave enough to make the leap to freelance. What I have to swallow when I feel like a failure is that everything I do is leading me to some place new, not physically, but my capabilities. I want to rush through the small steps that lead to art direction at a big agency or bold enough to be your own boss. Those small steps are what enable us to be able to handle the big stuff when we get there.

So today I am taking it one thing at a time:

"View from my Desk"

Avoiding Combustion

Recently I read an article by my former professor (a very talented designer) at KU. Burn-out is a danger for all creatives whether you work for corporation, small business, and freelance (it is probably a little scarier freelance creatives, but not necessarily). Our livelihoods depend on us being creative on command, which is not always possible. His use of honesty with clients and himself is essential to knowing how much work that you can take on at once is essential, but more striking is taking in account that we all need time away from work in order to be creative for work.

I need to work on both of these crucial points. I do not do freelance, but I have trouble telling my boss that I am just too busy to get my work done beautifully. This has made me produce some lack-luster work as of late. I try to counteract that by telling myself I need to work on personal projects at home, but that only results in burn-out. What I really need is time out to enjoy my life around me, because that is what I work so hard for everyday. My wonderful husband, my hyper labs, and my sweet niece are what help me regain focus on what I really want in my life. So cheers to a weekend to focus on my loved ones and giving myself a break!

Burnt Out

bûrnt out: To cause to undergo combustion.

 

With all work, and no play I have burnt out. My passion for design was strong and kept me motivated everyday to be creative in every part of my life. Constant fast paced, repetitive work begins to drive a nail into ambition and creative talent. Clawing my way out of burn out will be difficult, especially with no break in site.

My coworkers have been telling me it is essential to take vacations. It is due as part of my salary, but it is difficult for me to take it. With downsizing at work it will become even more difficult to have the courage to request vacation, let alone be able to get time off. It is clear that I need a break, and it is essential not only personally but for my professional work as well. All I can do is hope for some inspiration to flutter before me.

Blogging Takes Passion

With the somewhat anonymity of the internet it becomes easier to post whatever you want to the internet, but continual blogging takes something more than an 100 character update on what you are eating. Blogging takes passion. Unfortunately it is difficult to be continually passionate and motivated to post on a constant basis, and it better to take a break than to force mediocre content on an overcrowded blogosphere. Most people start a blog to discuss a subject that is important to them and think others will be interested on what they have to say.

You can find blogs on every subject: food (probably the most common), design, art, literature, DIY, crafts, games, health, mommy blogs, and much more. Most of us will never become "professional"  bloggers, like dooce (mommy blog), designlovefest (design), designsponge (home design), and besides have to make sure they can pay their employees they are able to take breaks from posting and let others post for them so that their readers don't notice the downtime when creativity has dissipated. Some are able to earn an income off their site, but most never will. What makes us spend countless hours, without pay writing about design, health, literature, crafts...passion.

Passion: any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate.

When passion wanes personal blogs suffer because there is no longer the compelling force driving us to spend or precious personal time writing about a subject that once burned with fire, but is now cooled ashes.

 If passion is so essential, how do we get it back?

Spend time on your other hobbies. Spending time on your other hobbies can reignite your blogging passion when you can come back to it. Most of us are not interested in just one thing, so get out and enjoy your other hobbies as you wait for time to bring back your passion for your blog.

Sleep. Everyone has his or her own sleep requirement usually 6 to 9 hours. Our bodies need time to recharge in order to keep our body functioning as well as creativity.

Brainstorm (remember those writing exercises in grade school) - writing your ideas down quickly can help you come up with many ideas and you can weed out the ones that don't interest you.

Set Goals. when we achieve our goals a small amount of endorphins are released. making you happy and helping your regain passion.

Staying Motivated

Staying Motivated, this a great article about staying motivated. I find myself motivated and creative at work, and since I have moved to my new home all I do when I get home is vegetate. Reading this article helped me understand why. 

"Build a creative den. Whether it’s your desk area, a dark cave, a hotel room, or a home office, you need a place specifically set aside to be creative in. Once you’ve decided on that place, use it like the dickens. Each creative success you have in that location will train your mind to be creative within its boundaries. When I set foot inside my office, something clicks on in my brain, and I’m ready to work. Sure, it took about six months to turn into a den—but trust me, it’s time and effort well spent."

While I have more space, in fact I have one room that is my office, but I have been unable to make it a creative den. Through habit, my brain goes into auto mode and cruises on Netflix and Youtube; because that is all I have ever been able to accomplish in that room. My creative ideas make it onto scraps of paper on my desk at work, but flutter away by the time I reach my desk at home. It will take work and effort to retrain my brain to be creative at home as well..and maybe less of a dumping ground.

The Best Days are Ahead of Me

It is easy for me to look at past projects, and sometimes current projects and wish I had done better and known more. Overcoming this negative attitude takes effort, but I find that knowing that I recognize this failure and need for improvement enables me to know that my best days in work and personal life are ahead of me. And that is encouraging.

So those school projects that I look back and cringe, let me know how far I have come and where I can go is really up to me.

Looking Forward to Being Creative Again

Since I am trying to make my house fit to live in, most of my creative mojo after work has to be pushed aside to paint, install laminate floors, of some other necessary task. I am l poking forward to November 26 when I officially have to be moved out. Once I can settle into my new home, I will have the chance to draw on my creative roots and have fun.

I feel stifled and that my skill sets are fading, just because I don't have the time to devote to them. I want to immediately get back to improving/relearning web design as well as trying to improve illustration skills.

My Idle Hands

"Idle hands are the devil's play things" Work has an ebb and a flow. There are times that are very busy that require long hours and caffeinated beverages, and then there are other times when there is a definite lull. I usually fill those times with cleaning my desk, going through old paperwork that I ignore most of the time. That barely takes an hour. What to do? I have found a new way to make this time more profitable by refueling my creative juices. This new tool is Pinterest. I love being able to pin images from anywhere and categorizing for when I want to access them later. I can look for inspiration or help develop my ideas for this blog. I know I have a lot of fun hours ahead of me repositioning my multitudes of bookmarks into workable image boards.

Of course this also might just be another digital life distraction! Especially since it can connect with your fackbook and twitter. Happy pinning!

Staying Creative

It is probably one of the most talked about subject within the creative community. How do you continually come up with ideas day in and day out? It is a real challenge, especially when your lively-hood depends on it. There are many things that can help boost creativity.


Many creatives keep a full desk with knickknacks with nostalgia or interesting design qualities, and others want no distractions from keeping them from the task at hand. They treat their desks with minimalism.


Others have mood/visual boards. Literally boards with images, words, or colors to express a mood, goal, or style. This can be a great way to bring a multitude of elements together to share in a similar time or feeling.


Exercise. Newsweek had this to say:
 

"Almost every dimension of cognition improves from 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, and creativity is no exception. The type of exercise doesn't matter, and the boost lasts for at least two hours afterward. However, there's a catch: this is the case only for the physically fit. For those who rarely exercise, the fatigue from aerobic activity counteracts the short-term benefits."

Lists can be a helpful way to stay focused and organized, but lists can become overwhelming and put a damper on your creativity when it becomes too long. Keep it concise. 

Sketching or working in a different medium helps you to use different brain connections. Your work can also take a different texture than it would otherwise. Even if you are a writer: using a pen/pencil and paper creates different results than when you are exclusively using a computer. 


Take a break. I am bad at following this advice. when i am working on a project I try to sit and just pull through it, and maybe taking 15 minutes away from my work to take a walk or even sit at a new location can give a well earned break and stimulation ----> making me more productive!


Working harder and more diligently can work for short spurts, but it leads to burnout. Do you have anything you look at, do, listen, or read to help you stay creative?

STRESS

"Wise men should not click pens"

Slow it Down

Work can get busy and chaotic, and it is easy to get swept up into the motion of it all. When I have the motivation I just want to get it done. I get tunnel vision and start work with increasing speed. At some point the speed doesn't matter, because the work suffers. It is better to take a break, go on a walk, or at least take a deep breath. Relax, and refocus. Going at a slower pace, maybe everything won't get done on time, but it will be done right. From experience getting it done right is what matters more. 

When I had my internship my boss had something posted on the wall behind me:

Good, Fast, and Cheap

(pick two)

 If you want good design for cheap, it won't be fast

If you want good and fast design it won't be cheap

If you want fast and cheap design, it won't be good.

You can only have two. You can not get all three. This reminds me about what I have to do about now. I am trying to have quality design for the low price. I need to take the time to make my designs the best they can be (without over analyzing). When I go at super speed, the details can sweep right by me. Even when you are striving for quality design at high speed, the quality is not as good as it would be for Quality design and taking it slow. Good designs don't always come at the drop of a pin. Design takes thought and planning. I have to work through all the bad parts, before I get to the best option. Even if the best option was the first option, working on more ideas lets me know that I had it right the first time.

Take the time to do your work right, and you won't have the regrets that come with a hasty approach.

Constant Vigilince...

Is difficult. Lately I have been having trouble staying motivation. It seems once you start having a goal things just get thrown at you to make it more difficult to meet those goals. It was easy at first to want to draw, update my site, and look at type. It started with being active (that is always the hardest for me in my married life, I am not sure why). Then other things started falling off the list, and with the list went my motivation. I might have just gotten it back! My local AIGA had a Pecha Kucha event. The purpose of the event was to show what creative individuals do when they are not being paid to be creative.

Some of the speakers shared hobbies that I also enjoy when I am not at work: creative desserts, photography, loved ones, and reading. More than finding common bonds. I have gotten some of wind back. Some things that have become more crucial the more I design: always a student, have passion, curiosity, and have fun. If it is not fun then I cannot do my best work.

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I did have a mini kitchen adventure: ( I don't count it as an adventure since I have made lemon bars a few times before).  this exact recipe was a first. I have a few suggestions if you make it: 1.5 sticks of butter instead of 2 will make just plenty. If you want you can just half the crust and make the same amount of filling, or you can 1.5 the recipe. I had 3 lemons so I just made extra filling. The original recipe has too much crust to filling ratio. So I suggest either the crust gets less or the filling more.