Hello, hello, dear friends and readers.
As always, I thought about starting this blog-post by the ever-incessant complaint about how I didn’t have time to write anything. Because, well, I actually didn’t take time to sit down for a while and write something, which, on one hand, is a sure symptom of someone not being able to manage her own time. Thus, on the other hand, is also a far more interesting symptom of “lack of creativity syndrom”.

This barbarian name, applied to a barbarian state of mind, is revealing the truth that I’ve been hiding for month now.
My creativity flow is low. My imagination is on standby mode. My ability to live, breath, and feel creative is gone far far away.
This is a problem. A hugeeee problem, mind you. Especially when you work in the creative field. And especially when you’re always descibed as the creative person of the team.

When there’s a problem, there’s a solution (& I really do hope there is). So, what’s the key to being productive again?
Actually, I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately — I was a bit worried at first, but as every disease I got, I’m pleased to observe evolutions and interesting developments it gets into.
That’s the “little chemist” syndrom, but I oughta talk about that later.
As part of the analysis, I had an observation about myself and other designers I know… (Sorry guys, you were part of a huge lab experience, you can now go back to your normal lives)

First of all, we’re not all equal in creativity flow. Some still manage to get busy and imaginative, while others get burried under everyday-work matters. This might be part of a motivation problem. So, first item I wrote on the list: lack of motivation.
Then, I noticed we felt like we had no time at all. Which is pretty true. But… the more you do, the more time you seem to got.
This, I called it: Unability to do things.
That was not because lack of time, but because we were too tired to do anything.
Symptom number 3: you’re tired.
All of this leads to symptom numer 4: Boredom. Being unproductive makes you bored. So you feel unmotivated. And you don’t do anything. Your brain starts to melt. And then, you’re tired.
This is a viscious circle that makes you drown under the deep sea of brain-dead designers. Being a creative designer means to be creative outside the job timetable too. So that does not only affect your workflow, but also your life, and even worst your well-being.

So, what’s the solution?
I’d say… Getting challenged.

First, get a few days off work. And do whatever you please, just for you.
And then..

Do something new. Surprise yourself. Kick your own ass into making things. Find the time.
A night spent in front of the TV is a night not well spent. Go and see people. Discuss. Start projects. Mostly, find new things enjoyable — may it be cooking, gardening or whatsoever.
The more you’ll talk with highly creative people, the more you’ll find that they just force themselves into being productive all day long.

This is difficult. This is painful. But this is also pretty interesting to try once in a while.
Just as some do a home cures during autumn, this is just a “creative cure”.

The challenge ?
Take two month, to get to the end of the year, to get highly creative. Imagine a project of something you’d really enjoy doing. 2 months, to produce something original, funny, awesome or using adjectives that my lack of english knowledge don’t let me use. New portfolio? New website? Blogging everyday? Drawing 1 thing a day? Build a wood house in the garden? Re-decorate your home? Change your fashion approach? Learn something new?
I say, see you in 2 months. for now I’ve got my own ass to kick.

As I was chatting with my friend Samir the other day, we came across the incredible revelation that we were both sick from a strange disease. Not that we’re suffering from any horrible symptoms involving itchy skin, nauseating smell and crave for fresh brains… At least for now. No flu symptoms either, be it from birds, pigs or even dolphin (which may be the next one, undoubtly.)

So what?!
Procrastination. Abusive use of the words “should”, “may” or even “maybe”. Making up new amazing projects that will never see the light of the office neon lights. Forgotting about blogging because there was something better to watch on TV. Craving to design things, to learn how to draw properly, to code, to speak a new language and to do some sports. All things that personnal trainers tell you to do on a regular basis in order to be a better person — but you don’t have a personnal trainer, so you keep forgetting. We’re suffering from a designer’s disease: the itch to make things that you will never find time to make.

If anyone got the antidote around here, please let me know.
For now, I go back in the flow of the over-working zombies, but I can’t help to think that, somehow, the “should” will someday happen.
Maybe if I can kick my own butt pretty hard…

Love and a bit of lettrpress on top of that.
Zélia

Have you ever wondered how those rock-stars designers find the time to be as productive as they are? Multi-blogging, twittering all day, conferences, collective projects… They are everywhere, all the time.
When you come back home, after a long day at work, don’t you feel the need to tranform into a gigantic potato couch? Do you still feel the creative vibe in you? Can you still watch a computer screen? Can you dedicate your entire life to your creativity?

Some do some letterpress, others some wallpapers. They talk about design while updating their personnal blogs. They decorate their home, and upload 125 pics to flick’r. They even find the time to read or watch movies.
Those guys are sure multitasking gods. But I highly suspect them to be more than one. Or to be able to skip sleeping time. Maybe a special drug, or some kind of genetic manipulation? Who knows…

Those same designer rockstars have a great portfolio, with those incredibly beautiful work that clients have accepted. No blue layout. No awful adds. No stupid gigantic logos. Hypnosis? Weapon threatening? How do they achieve to be not only talented, but also convincing? On the same scale, they seem to always have interesting projects. Strange thing that your clients are not that nice with you, huh? Do you have to do all the stupid stuff?

On top of that, they know all you have to know about the job. You fight to learn proper kerning, they know it by heart. You over-use Helvetica when they know a plethora of beautiful types. You barely know who is Paul Rand or Stefan Sagmeister, when they sometimes met them personnaly.

Plus, they often got style. Written, design, photographic or fashionable style. They are complete artists when you struggle to take a correct pic, or to wear something smarter than your usual grey sweater. Worst than that, they’re often funny, approchable, and quite nice.

My opinion? They are not real. Someone is lying to us, average designers. Just to make us feel guilty.

Howdy everyone!
As ever, I was caught in a storm that fored me not to upload my pics on flick’R. Actually, my cat ate my USB wire. Errrr…. Then, here we go, for some random cool links.

Politically related :
The French internet is suffering from an intense political debate, intending to attack the privacy of web users. Firstly made to prevent illegal downloading, we’re now confonted to an insanely stupid law, which intends to cut your internet access for at least a year if you’re suspected of downloading illegaly. As we all know, knowing exactly who has been using P2Psystem is almost impossible. Of course, people in charge of this law have an an astronomical knowledge of the internet. Such as: ” if you download a file in Japan, it’ll take 3 days to come from there. The farthest, the longer the downloading…” (That was saif by Pascal Nègre, the actual president of Universal Music France.) Anyway, if you’d like to learn more about France becoming the democratic republic of China, give a read to this website.

Type-related :
Watches the watchmen. Ilovetypography published this link to an interesting interview of Corey Holms, the designer of th film logo. Interesting insight on the design process from original material to massive printed posters.
The art of ligatures, for type nerds only.
A letterpress-made gun. Beautiful.

Design related :
Cool books hooks. I could really use this.
The new Chanel bag is ace. Though Karl is a proven alien from transexual transylvania, I must admit he has somewhat of a talent tomake me want to become rich.

Creativity related :
My friend Samir posted an interesting blog post about spring-fling creativity. Be sure to check his other posts, as you might find valuable informations about creativity, and procrastination too (he’s as good as me at that game).

Nerdy related :
On a funnier side, an extract from Om Shanti Om, that I find particularly hilarious.
I’m learning hindi guys. Hence the bollywood complex. But I highly sugget you to take a look at the devanagari alphabet: a good load of headaches to come. Remind me when I started to have a look at Malay language, only to discover that they were counting with ananas and rocks. Why so complicated?!!

Have a great week everyone,
Time for a glass of milk and a good night of sleep.
Geez!
Zélia.