Hand writing helps me get creative under pressure
So you may have noticed it’s been pretty quiet here at JMC HQ lately. Why? Well, it’s annual report time peeps which means I don’t have time for creativity, sadly I only have times for stats, facts, figures and flow charts. (And eradicating double spaces).
Usually I use my lunch (quarter) hours as my “creative time”. A little time out in my day to get my creative juices flowing. Unfortunately lunch breaks are done away with on these deadline-driven days.
Sometimes deadlines can work for you. Spurring you on to get that project finished! Other times they can hamper your creativity leaving you devoid of ideas and inspiration as your brain fries under the pressure of your impending doom (maybe a touch dramatic but you get my meaning).
I find my writing and design ideas benefit from the luxury of time to stew in their creative juices.
What do I do when I need to be creative under pressure? [Other than go on Pinterest for some creative inspiration which I really shouldn’t do when I’m actually trying to save time.]
I make a hot cup of tea and write…. With an actual pen (I prefer a fountain pen but they’re a liability with a one year old in the house) and a fresh, crisp, white piece of paper.
In my early days as a writer I found it impossible to start a project without initiating the creative flow on paper. I just couldn’t. Now, I have mastered the art of writing straight into Word/Illustrator/InDesign however I find that handwriting projects in the initial stages can add another layer of drafting to the process. I naturally edit as I transcribe.
I still love to start a project on paper. It’s tangible, it’s visual and the connection of brain to hand, scrawling across the page, sparks something in me which the tapping of a keyboard rarely inspires.
Anyway, better get back to it…
Please, inspire me, what fun things do you do to get your creativity going?
Jane McKay Communications 
Walking in the sunshine, cooking, and listening to music tend to allow the creativity to flow!
Posted by Merryn Padgett | September 18, 2012, 1:13 pmI leaf through Fast Company and Inc. or Advertising Age. Hands down, I get mojo juice for blog posts from these big 3 on my reading stack!
Posted by Jayme Soulati (@Soulati) | September 19, 2012, 1:02 amAd News here in Oz. Been reading a bit of Slate too recently….
Posted by Jane McKay | September 25, 2012, 8:41 amHand writing works for me better than just about anything else–for some reason I prefer yellow legal pads to white, but I’ll use white too. You’ve got nice curly handwriting under pressure, lol. Mine gets pretty funny looking.
Posted by Shakirah Dawud | September 21, 2012, 2:45 amIn Australia we don’t seem to have the yellow legal pads of which you (and Marshall on How I Met Your Mother) speak. I think there’d be less glare? I prefer blue pen to black.
Posted by Jane McKay | September 25, 2012, 8:40 am