Zoe Garred - How To Be More Creative (And Less Busy)

http://creativepulse.co/be-more-creative/

Transcript

1. HOW TO BE MORE CREATIVE (and less busy)
2. HELLO!
3. I’M ZOE GARRED - I’m a product designer. - I specialize in ceramics. - My studio is called Fleet Objects (fleetobjects.com) which was my main source of income for a number of years. - Now I’m the head of accessory design at Article (article.com).
4. AQUAREL POUF Designed - Fall 2015 for Fleet Objects Material - Custom printed canvas with feather fill
5. MARINER LIGHT Designed - Spring 2012 for Fleet Objects Material - Handcast porcelain Publications - House Beautiful, Gray Magazine, Remodelista, Sunset Magazine
6. MARINER TABLE LAMP Designed - Spring 2014 for Fleet Objects Material - Porcelain and Tinted Stoneware
7. POOLS COLLECTION Designed - Spring 2010 for Fleet Objects Material - Handcast stoneware Publications - Real Simple, Elle Decor, House & Home, Style at Home, Western Living
8. SHELL LAMP Designed - Spring 2011 for Fleet Objects Material - Porcelain
9. STACKING VASE Designed - Spring 2010 for Fleet Objects Material - Porcelain
10. THE PROBLEM
11. NOT ENOUGH CREATIVE TIME - Not feeling creative when you have time - Feeling too busy - Pushing creative time to the bottom of your list
12. CREATIVE SPACE
13. CHOOSING A CREATIVE SPACE - What kind of space makes you feel creative? Do you prefer a desk or some pillows on the floor? - Do you like to work at home, in a studio, a co-op or in a public space? Do you prefer working alone or with collaborators? - To train your brain, don’t use your creative space for anything other than your creative work. Keep other stresses out of your space. If you need to use the same space for other work, find a way to change it up to reset your brain. Turn off your phone and maybe your computer.
14. DESIGNING YOUR SPACE - What kind of tools do you need to have around you? Are they close at hand and easy to find? Can you put them into a kit? Maybe you need to buy duplicates? - Are you using the right tools? Are you more creative working with a pen and paper than with a computer? - What will make you more comfortable? Drinks and snacks close at hand? A heater or fan? Comfortable clothing?
15. CHOOSING A CREATIVE TIME - Are you more creative in the day or night time? - Block off time as if it were a meeting, put it into your schedule and stick to it whether you accomplish anything or not. You need to take that time and sometimes it will be fruitful, sometimes not. You are training your brain to be creative at that time.
16. AUTOMATION
17. AUTOMATING REPETITIVE TASKS - Can you outsource parts of your production? - Are there any machines, software or tools that you could invest in to speed up your work? - Could you learn any automation tools or shortcuts in the software you use?
18. STREAMLINING REPETITIVE TASKS - Can you redesign your workflow to be more efficient? Maybe group similar tasks in your day? Maybe limit meetings to no more than 30 mins. - Is there software that would help you streamline? Project management software like Trello can be really helpful. Accounting or database software can help you streamline the information you are accumulating.
19. DELEGATION
20. LETTING GO OF TASKS - It’s important to recognize that you are not always the best person to perform a task. - Maybe it’s too simple for your level of expertise. Maybe someone who has more expertise can do it faster and better. - Paying someone else to do some of your tasks can save you money in the end.
21. WORKSHOP: REVIEWING YOUR TO DO LIST - Start by creating a current job description for yourself. Write down every set of tasks you are responsible for in a month. - Second, highlight every task that you would rather get off your list or that could theoretically be done by someone else. Maybe a junior, or someone outside you could hire who is more specialized.
22. WORKSHOP CONT... REWRITING YOUR TO DO LIST - Next, rewrite your job description without these tasks you can delegate to someone else. Add in the creative time that you are missing. - Take the crossed off tasks and create a series of additional job descriptions for the people you will need to hire to fulfill them.
23. RECAP SPACE + TIME AUTOMATION DELEGATION
24. QUESTIONS?