Just heard stress described as when a demand for change or adaptation is upon us and we lack the creative energy needed 2 rise 2 the demand. (@MetalwingDotCom)

It got me to thinking about whether this applied to the recent stressors in my life and I concluded that the tweet was poignant. Things that cause me stress generally require a high-level of creative energy or motivation and the idea of stepping up and tackling the obstacle is daunting.

A large majority of people can get by on a daily basis by going through the motions. For me, a regular work day doesn’t require adaptions or change. Somtimes I have meetings where I use a significant amount of brain power, but for the most part, I’m comfortable with what’s expected from me and confident in delivering what’s required. Great.

Conversely, there are days when I need to operate at a much higher level. Maybe I’m directing a video shoot, or pitching a VP on a change I’d like to implement to the web on a global scale. Presenting ideas to executives and getting optimal on-camera performances out of strangers is something slightly uncomfortable for me. These things require me to adapt and spend a lot of creative energy. I would like to have more of these days and less passive just-to-get-by days. The challenge is keeping the creative energy tank full.

Feeling empowered to make an impact means achieving sustained motivation and energized creativity. I have found there are things that I can do to help me conjure the feeling:

1- Exercising

A solid sweat from a run or getting your blood flowing by doing some weight training is a pretty surefire way to get your brain working optimally. Couple these with fueling your body properly and you’ve got a pretty solid formula for readiness. I’m mentally acute after playing hockey as well. Hockey is a game that demands quickness, strength and decision-making. All things that translate well into other aspects of life. I realize not everybody out there can skate (unfortunately) so choose your own poison.

2- Putting Things into Perspective

My dad died in 2008–when I was 26. I’m sure it sounds cliche, the one positive I took away from his death was the idea of living in the moment and embracing the idea of having one life to live. When I think about him and his life I get a feeling in my bones that’s difficult to put into words. I feel exhilarated. I feel a physical wave of positive energy run through my body. I feel in touch with the moment and happy to be alive and have influence on the world.

When you consider that a human life is finite, it makes the obstacles and things you need to do to improve your life seem very achievable. Thinking about my family is another way to lock things into perspective. I want to be the best and most successful person I can be for my wife and my child. My desire for the success of my entire family outweighs anything that would keep me from confronting challenges. Thinking of the people you’re living for and the people you want to make proud can help boost your energy.

3- Reading

I consider myself a relatively intelligent person, but what I’ve found is that there are lots of very, very smart people out there and some of them are kind enough to share their thoughts about business and life. In 2011 I finally set up an RSS reader that collects news articles and blog posts from web sites filled with thought-provoking and insightful information that facilitates learning, personal growth and inspiration.  I’m not talking about cheesy quotes and motivational what-have-yous. I’m talking about concrete methods on improving my professional skills and personal habits. Knowledge is power.

4- Music

This one almost goes without explanation and I imagine most people can relate to this. I use music to motivate me when I work out. I listen to music while I work. Music can affect you in different ways at different times. My favorite time to feel inspiration from music is driving through the city at night. It could be that the city feels like the appropriate environment for hip-hop music or it could be that I also feel energized by cities filled with activity. Regardless of your preference, the messages in good music can be a source of motivation.

If you have any things you do to get in the zone and perform at your best? Let me know.

Here are a couple before/after shots:

My first ‘real’ job out of school required I work quickly and tear through assignments–often times at the expense of quality. My portfolio didn’t grow by many pieces but I did become one with my software packages and keyboard shortcuts. I also got to dabble outside of print design into motion graphics and some video production assistance. A little over a year later I applied for a graphic/web design position within the same organization and got the job. My thought was that I wanted to completely understand designing and preparing files for print. Done.

At my next gig I was a one man design department and was responsible for web graphics, print and motion design as well as shooting and editing video. I was able to inject some whimsy and fun into my work, but it was a much more corporate and clean look than I had ever designed within. I developed a pretty good understanding of the video production process and felt solidly enough about it to add it to my resume as a rounded-out skill. It was challenging to clean up my style to suit my new job. I was fighting it a bit and trying to revert back to my texture and color heavy organized-chaos look.

I did a lot of reading and inspiration seeking during this phase. I felt I was coming into my own. I had an increased devotion to my profession. At the same time I was becoming concerned by my lack of specialization. Would the fact that I was a jack of all trades but master of none hamper my advancement? I worried that I would have trouble selling my services to future employers looking specially for a web designer, video production person or traditional graphic designer. I believed I was capable to be all of those things but my resume read a little unclear. What was I, exactly? Such is the struggle of an interactive media major.

I have since moved to a new city, found a new job that suits my skill set well and have become comfortable with my varied albeit slightly unfocused skill set. I say all of this to arrive at my ultimate point and advice to young designers and troubled intermediates alike: Be formless. Commit to having a fluid style and avoid applying rigid formulas to unique design challenges. Don’t force a solution upon the problem aesthetically or in your choice of media. Some problems are best solved with video, others with direct mail pieces. Round out your skill set and evolve with technology.

I hope to have made my point, but in case I haven’t I leave you with this quote:

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend.
- Bruce Lee

This weekend I had some time to geek out and watch Gary Hustwit’s documentary film Helvetica. In listening to the designers he interviewed talk about Helvetica and type in general, I started to think about the choices we make as designers and the impact they have on the people we work for.

There are times in a designers career when we question our choice of profession – does what I do matter? Would I make more money and be viewed as more important by my organization if I were a salesperson where my influence on revenue is more obvious? Is what I bring to the table unique and valuable or am I easily replaceable?

I did some reflecting this weekend and reassured myself with regard to these questions. Not only that I had made the right choice for myself, but that what we do as designers is important. When a company hires you to carry out design tasks they put you in charge of the visual identity of their company. Your success or failure directly affects the perception of the company. In essence, you can set them up to succeed or fail–and that’s a pretty serious responsibility. Be worthy of their confidence in your abilities and keep these principles in mind:

Be Trustworthy and Ethical

As a freelance designer I have had people share concepts for start up businesses with me. I have been privy to information of technical and financial nature that wouldn’t normally be shared with an outside consultant . There is trust involved in a designer/client relationship that makes it intimate and exciting. Create an environment within your practice where clients don’t think twice about divulging sensitive information to you. When this does happen, guard that information as if it’s your own.

Educate your Client

Ideally, a designer or firm is chosen based on their track record and admiration for their aesthetic. That said, it is a rare job where the client has no preconceived notions of the end product. Merging your design sensibility with clients’ expectations can be difficult and in some cases, impossible. Another responsibility of a designer is to explain themselves. In some cases this includes educating the client. I don’t mean to suggest that the designer’s way is always the right way–only that in theory, a designer makes a decision based on practical consideration and training. It’s important to communicate your thought process.

Educate Yourself

If you’re going to put yourself in a position to dictate design decisions, you better know your shit. Continue to educate yourself on new technology, software packages and techniques. Talk to colleagues, read blogs, read books and attend conferences. Are you a print designer by trade? Learn flash. Web developer? Take a course on user interface design. Staying current will keep you passionate about your work and keep your bag of tricks stocked.

Sell Your Ideas

I recently read something that suggested that many good ideas go unused because they’re poorly presented. Nearly as important as being a good visual designer is being an articulate speaker. I enjoy putting on my headphones and shutting the world out while working as much as the next person, but I’m becoming increasingly aware of the need to communicate my design approach. For now on I will be more cognizant about explaining my motives and inviting dialogue about my process. I suggest you do the same!

For those who don’t watch–every show begins with a short preliminary challenge that has no barring on elimination. Typically the winner of the ‘quickfire’ challenge receives immunity for the main challenge or otherwise some type of monetary prize like cash or a trip.

The host delivers the topic and the chefs have a short period of time to produce a dish based around that topic before facing judgment. The main challenge is formatted the same but whoever is chosen to have the weakest dish is asked to “pack their knives and go.”

I’ve found over time that there are quite a few parallels between the design and culinary worlds. Here are five requirements of Top Chefs that can also lead to being a better designer:

1- Decisiveness
As a Top Chef contestant, laboring over a decision leads to insufficient time to execute and results in being sent home. As a designer, being indecisive leads to wasted hours on projects, too many revision cycles and an unclear visual solution.

2- Conceptual ability
Good design is idea based. A pretty picture only goes so far without underlying meaning. A fancy plate that lacks complimentary flavors and components will ultimately fail. Idea comes first.

3- Deadline Awareness
The design and restaurant worlds are time-sensitive industries that require consistent creativity. When a patron orders a meal they expect it to arrive in a timely fashion. Likewise, a designer doesn’t have much time to create a masterpiece – time is of the essence and we must deliver our best on a daily basis.

4- Editorial eye
Editing goes hand in hand with concept creation. Some ideas grow legs and arms and become convoluted by creativity. As a designer we sketch out the madness and determine which legs stay and which limbs are candidates for amputation. I can’t count the number of times a chef has been sent home on TC for having too much going on with their dish. Edit, edit, edit.

5-Versatility
A great chef is a great chef until the pastry challenge–where the specialist is separated from the well-rounded cook. Similarly, a designer should work to round out their skills. One could make a career as a typographer, or front-end web developer, but strengthening your weaknesses will prove advantageous.

I watch a couple other Bravo reality shows (Project Runway/Top Design) and many of these same principles apply. Anything I’m missing? Chime in on the comments.

I stopped by and got to taste a few of the beers while Tony worked on the next batch. Poured a nice mid-orange color but was a bit thin on the tongue. Tony was stepping up his malt content as well as the hops for round two in hopes of thickening up the body.

Really happy with how these came out. I suggested condensing the design a bit but Tony likes the way it wraps the bottle. Very pleased with the result and looking forward to tasting the next batch.

Although the Americans battled valiantly, they fell 3-2 in overtime, marking the first time the Olympic hockey tournament has been won by the home team.  What a great tournament.

Click the image for a full-resolution printable download version.