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Sometimes You Need to Draw Animals

Hannah Donovan
August 09, 2015

Sometimes You Need to Draw Animals

This is my story of going to the edge of burnout and back again. When I quit my first startup job in 2011, I did so thinking I might not be able to make anything ever again. Since then, I’ve devoted most of my personal time to working on this as a design problem.

As people who make things, burnout — and the inevitable sequel to it, maker’s block — is something we all face. It might be big, it might be small, mine was pretty big. I’ll share my favourite tools for solving and preventing burnout, as well as what factors contributed to it in the first place.

(There will also be drawings of animals.)

Hannah Donovan

August 09, 2015
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Transcript

  1. YOU NEED
    ANIMALS
    Somet
    imes
    t
    o d
    raw
    HANNAH DONOVAN • 6 AUG 2015

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  2. I’m a product designer, and I work
    in music and culture.

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  3. Han

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  4. Han

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  5. Han

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  15. 5 SISTERS

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  16. 5 SISTERS

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  17. 5 SISTERS
    TIGER

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  18. 5 SISTERS
    TIGER

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  19. 5 SISTERS
    TIGER
    MONSTERS INC

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  20. 5 SISTERS
    TIGER
    MONSTERS INC

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  21. 5 SISTERS
    TIGER
    MONSTERS INC
    CELLIST

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  22. 5 SISTERS
    TIGER
    MONSTERS INC
    CELLIST
    HIP HOP

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  23. 5 SISTERS
    TIGER
    MONSTERS INC
    CELLIST
    HIP HOP

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  24. 5 SISTERS
    TIGER
    MONSTERS INC
    CELLIST
    HIP HOP

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  25. 5 SISTERS
    TIGER
    MONSTERS INC
    CELLIST
    HIP HOP
    POWER CLASHING

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  26. 5 SISTERS
    TIGER
    MONSTERS INC
    CELLIST
    HIP HOP
    POWER CLASHING
    Photo credit: Kerstin Joensson

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  27. FEELS

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  28. Design school

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  29. Design school

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  30. Design school
    Design job

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  31. Design school
    Design job

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  32. Design school
    Design job

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  33. Design school
    Design job
    Better design job in a better city*
    *for design

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  34. Design school
    Design job
    Better design job in a better city*
    *for design
    Awesome design job in an awesome city

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  35. Design school
    Design job
    Better design job in a better city*
    Nothing…
    *for design
    Awesome design job in an awesome city

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  36. APRIL 2011
    Hong kong

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  37. “I need
    a designer.
    Can you Help?”

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  38. “I need
    a designer.
    Can you Help?”
    “...yes.”

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  39. Enough of me.
    WHY DOES THIS MATTER
    TO YOU?

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  40. This will probably happen to you too
    (if it hasn’t already).
    MY STORY ISN’T UNIQUE

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  41. MY STORY ISN’T UNIQUE

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  42. As makers, you’d think one of the most important
    things to learn would be how to take care of our
    abilities

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  43. As makers, you’d think one of the most important
    things to learn would be how to take care of our
    abilities
    I’M NOT CONVINCED THAT HAPPENS

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  44. And because we don’t talk about 

    this problem…


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  45. And because we don’t talk about 

    this problem…

    IT’S SELF REINFORCING

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  46. APRIL 2011
    Hong kong

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  47. FOR “MAKER’S BLOCK”

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  48. These aren’t just about fixing what
    was broken, but redesigning how 

    I approach making.
    FOR “MAKER’S BLOCK”

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  49. LEARN WHEN
    TO STOP

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  50. LEARN WHEN
    TO STOP

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  51. START WITH
    SOMETHING SHIT

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  52. START WITH
    SOMETHING SHIT

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  53. START WITH
    SOMETHING SHIT
    Shit first iteration of a profile screen

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  54. START WITH
    SOMETHING SHIT
    Shit first iteration of a profile screen
    Profile screen today

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  55. LET ACTION CREATE
    MOTIVATION

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  57. CREATE PATTERNS FOR PERSONAL
    SERENDIPITY

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  60. DO SOMETHING
    DIFFERENT

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  61. DO SOMETHING
    DIFFERENT
    Infographics for Invincible Iron Man #33 back up story (collaboration with Jamie McKelvie)

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  62. DO SOMETHING
    DIFFERENT
    Identity for the Manhattans Project
    LONG
    VINEGARED G&T
    Hendrick’s Gin, elderflower and tonic with a
    smidgen of dessert wine vinegar. Refinement
    personified, then turned into a drink. £8
    ITALIAN PALE ALE
    Flying Dog ipa and Campari, served over ice
    with a grapefruit wedge. To be honest, we
    didn’t expect it either. £7
    HOUSE CLASSICS
    TOM COLLINS
    LADY MACBETH
    SHERRY COBBLER
    RED HOOK
    A rotating list of classics we think deserve a
    little more attention. All £8
    At the Manhattans Project, we like great booze,
    strong drinks and have a penchant for classics.
    We like questions too, so please talk to us if you
    have any about the menu.
    No vertical drinking. Discretionary 12.5%
    service added.
    SHORT
    HOUSE MANHATTAN
    Rittenhouse 100, softened with cognac,
    rounded with a blend of vermouths and
    topped with a homemade brandied cherry. It’s
    pretty much our thing. £10
    MOONSHINE BOULEVARDIER
    Redneck Georgia Moon goes to finishing
    school with Aperol, Campari, Cocchi
    vermouth and peach liqueur. Dang she done
    scrub up purdy fine. £10
    GREENGAGE OLD FASHIONED
    Bourbon’s night off. La Penca mezcal
    brightened with old-timey greengage
    syrup, stirred down over ice with a dash of
    Peychaud’s bitters. £10
    LAPSANG MARTINEZ
    Fruity Tanqueray 10, Lapsang tea and Talisker,
    mellowed with Antica formula. Smoky and
    complex; half Churchill, half Roosevelt. £10
    7 RUM MAI TAI
    If you like rum so much why don’t you go live
    there? A Tiki mix of seven rums, manhandled
    into submission with almond syrup and fresh
    citrus. £10
    CLASSIC COCKTAILS DONE RIGHT
    PDQKDWWDQVSURMHFWFRPŤWZLWWHUPDQKDWWDQVPRJCTŤIDFHERRNPDQKDWWDQVSURMHFW

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  63. DO SOMETHING
    DIFFERENT
    Logo & design for THREE (collaboration with
    Kieron Gillen, Ryan Kelly & Jordie Bellaire)
    $2.99
    1

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  64. DO SOMETHING
    DIFFERENT
    Give yourself permission to be different.

    Diversity is more inspiring.

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  65. DO SOMETHING
    DIFFERENT
    Give yourself permission to be different.

    Diversity is more inspiring.

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  66. YOUR

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  67. Talk about them and make your
    colleagues aware of them.
    YOUR

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  68. Grumpy otter, 2011
    Duster, 2012

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  69. Grumpy otter, 2011
    Duster, 2012 Magic pen, 2013

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  70. YOU NEED
    ANIMALS
    Somet
    imes
    t
    o d
    raw

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  71. YOU NEED
    ANIMALS
    Somet
    imes
    t
    o d
    raw
    THANK YOU!
    Want to get in touch?
    @han on the internet
    Email: [email protected]
    Further reading & references:
    The Artist’s Way – Julia Cameron
    Bird by Bird – Anne Lamott
    The Creative Habit – Twyla Tharp

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