Blend Lab

For some, basking in the ethereal glow of a monitor hour after hour, day after day is a small taste of heaven. For me, it’s a different story.

Don’t get me wrong, the bond I share with our friend the interweb is strong. If unable to check email regularly, I have a nagging sense of being out of touch, or that I’ve forgotten something. Usually it only takes a few hours in the mountains or a glass of wine with some friends to shake this feeling, but I’d be lying if I said that my computer and the internet are simply tools for me, I’m the first to admit that I do rely on them.

That said, having just my computer, an assortment of blogs, and a handful of IM buddies to interact with on a daily basis forces me to the edge of reason every once in a while. As such, I thought I would take my first stab at a ‘Top Ten List.’ They seem to be all the rage these days and though I’m late to jump on the bandwagon, I thought I’d give ‘er a shot. So without further ado:

Ten Methods for Maintaining Sanity as a Solo Freelance Designer

1. Get out of the office/couch/closet/spare room. This is probably the easiest way to keep a clear head. Head out for a quick walk, grab a coffee at the local shop, or just step out onto your deck for a minute or two. Essentially - get your attention away from the computer, if only for a couple of minutes.
2. Schedule a meeting. Meetings happen, sometimes you love ‘em, sometimes you hate ‘em, regardless, the nice by-product (for me, anyway) is that you actually get to interact with a real live person. If you’re busy, it will give you a quick break and give your client confidence that you’re on top of things as you update them with your progress. If you’re not busy, it’s a good way to maintain a relationship and potentially drum up some new business.
3. Look outside your medium for inspiration. The nice thing about being a designer is that inspiration is everywhere. Many times I’ll find myself looking at sites or leafing through books/magazines looking for inspiration - only to end up bashing my head against the wall in frustration. Then, I will look around and see a logo on a billboard, a cool sticker on a skateboard, or a pattern on my shower curtain and be suddenly inspired.
4. Hook up with friends. Although meetings are nice, they aren’t always relaxing - Besides, I’m sure Sally would love to meet you for lunch, and you haven’t seen her in quite some time. You’ll be amazed at how much you get done after having a nice, quick lunch with a friend - Assuming you don’t get into the wine
5. Get the creative juices flowing. No, I’m not referring to a quick infusion of Starbucks (though that may work for some - I’m looking at you Bautista). I find doing other (non-design) creative tasks helps to get me back in the swing of things. Whether it’s making a special sandwich for lunch or perhaps setting up a new playlist in iTunes, you’ll find that though you’ve stopped being billable for 10 minutes, you come back refreshed and ready to attack.
6. To do. ‘To do’ lists are my friend and they want to be your friend too. Boiling projects down into various manageable tasks is important - especially when you’re busy. Oftentimes if I’m in the weeds (read: smokin’ busy) I find that if I take a quick moment to outline the important tasks I need to take care of, it helps me stay focused.
7. Tunes. Without music I’m lost. I’m less productive, less creative, less interesting, and less attractive. I have various playlists that I save for various practices. Need to grind out some templates? Perhaps some driving house music is in order. Designing a site for a spa? Vivaldi or Kate Rusby will steer me in the right direction. Developing an interactive Flash-based world for pre-teens? Look no further than Christina Aguilara. Ok, maybe scratch the last example.
8. Hydration. Though I’m as guilty as the next guy/gal of sucking down a coffee to get the motor running in the morning/noon/afternoon, if I’m not complementing my cup of joe with copious amounts of H₂O I end up feeling sluggish.
9. Have people to bounce ideas off of. Though most designers (the good ones, anyway) are able to approach their own designs fairly objectively, it’s often important to get an outside opinion. Even if it’s a passing “Yeah, that looks really good dear” from your wife as she half glances at your layout (not that that’s ever happened to me).
10. Have your office in a separate room. Before moving into our new abode, my wife and I shared a tiny bachelor suite. Because our love is/was as deep as the ocean and as strong as oak we managed not to kill each other in that small space, but having my computer in the same room all the time just about finished me. Whether I was cooking a nice dinner, watching a movie, or trying to fall asleep, my computer was there… Smiling at me… Reminding me of what I had yet to finish. Getting the computer into another room was the greatest thing I ever did. I don’t think I get any less done, and both my bride and I are much happier as a result.

It should be noted that it’s possible none of the above will make you a better designer, or make you more productive; in fact, it’s entirely possible it will do the opposite, but for me, if at least a few of these activities aren’t incorporated into my week I am quickly pushed to the point of just about gnawing off my left foot.