TIPS TO BETTER SLEEP FOR THE CREATIVE MIND

Forgive me internets for I have sinned. It has been, wait for it, one year since I last blogged! Today I start since I last blogged! Today I start out again with a renewed motivation to blogging. With the 365 days that have passed have come a lot of new experiences and lessons about freelancing that I really would like to share.

The first cab off the rank is the issue of sleep and the creative mind. I have struggled with issues of sleep for sometime and find it difficult to turn my brain off at night after a day working with colours, fonts, pictures and clients, oh my! My brain knows no bounds once I have stopped work and I am constantly developing new concepts, guilting myself over blog posts not written or stewing over financial matters while tucked comfortably in bed.

The way to healthy sleeping is to develop the right routines and to stick with them, but a looming deadline can put these routines off course. Or, if you’re a night time designer like myself, routinely going to bed at the suitable hour of 9.30pm is just not on the cards. So without further ado here is a little compilation I have put together to try and help combat restless nights.

Designers, artists, programmers, photographers, anyone who suffers from inadequate sleep…what do you do to help turn your creative minds off at night?

SO HERE ARE 10 QUICK TIPS TO BETTER SLEEP FOR THE CREATIVE MIND

1. Finish working on the computer at least an hour before bedtime. Do not discuss, look at, think about, touch, read, or write anything creative for the hour or so before bed. Do something relaxing like read a book or go for a walk.

2. If you must stay up late to finish a project, try doing something else for half an hour before you hit the sack. Read a book, make your lunch for the next day, fold and put away your laundry. Just something to try and move your mind from the recent job and into a relaxed state ready for sleep.

3. Read a book you’ve already read for half an hour. New books can be horribly addictive but re-reading an old favourite might be less stimulating before sleep.

4. Though a frosty beer sometimes seems like a stupendous idea to devour while working/ stressing, consider that alcohol can cause disturbed sleep so at the least make it a lunch time brew!

5. Now brace yourself because this one is a killer. NO caffeine after 2pm. And don’t kid yourself, tea also contains caffeine. Water is definitely the best option.

6. Do not check emails before bed, you just know there is going to be one in there requesting the 68th revision of the job you’re currently working on.

7. Don’t take work calls after 6pm. Sometimes this is hard to avoid but I find if I take calls any later my brain starts working of the job independently of my hands and I concentrate less on the sleeping I’m supposed to be doing.

8. Don’t use your phone in bed before sleep or check it if you have been unable to fall asleep – for 3 reasons. 1, it’s addictive. 2. You might find something that makes you frustrated or upset and your mind will reel 3. The light emitted from electronic screens such as phones and iPads can mess with your sleep cycles.

9. If you have tried and failed to fall asleep, get up and walk around your house. Move to another room and do something boring but unstimulating. Again, the laundry might be good or a Sudoku.

10. A tip that sometimes works for me if I am failing miserably at falling asleep is switching beds or sleeping on the couch. I have no idea why, but I have always liked the novelty of sleeping in a different place.

And here are a few really interesting facts about sleep from the experts. You can find the source site here.

- Anything less than five minutes to fall asleep at night means you’re sleep deprived. The ideal is between 10 and 15 minutes, meaning you’re still tired enough to sleep deeply, but not so exhausted you feel sleepy by day.

- Experts say one of the most alluring sleep distractions is the 24-hour accessibility of the internet.

- To drop off we must cool off; body temperature and the brain’s sleep-wake cycle are closely linked. That’s why hot summer nights can cause a restless sleep. The blood flow mechanism that transfers core body heat to the skin works best between 18 and 30 degrees. But later in life, the comfort zone shrinks to between 23 and 25 degrees – one reason why older people have more sleep disorders.

I would love to hear your tips and suggestions for nodding off so please leave a comment.

5 TIPS FOR SELF BRANDING FOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Self branding as a graphic designer can be torturous. You can’t tell if your working for the best or worst client you’ve ever had. You have full creative control and your timeline is flexible. On the other hand, you never get a specific brief, work hours on end, and never produce anything satisfactory. You chase that elusive ‘perfect’ outcome and drag yourself over hot coals trying to get there.

Though the process isn’t the same for everyone, this was my experience. I recently rebranded and took quite some time doing it. I’ve certainly learnt a few tricks to make the process more enjoyable for next time. For now, 
here’s my two cents on how to make branding or rebranding a touch easier for yourself:

SPEND SOME TIME NAVEL GAZING.
Work out which qualities best represent you and your business. Before you even start sketching, its best to start writing. It may not be as in depth as a business plan, but at least consider the who, what, where, why and hows and the way they can be represented in your logo or collateral materials. This is a helpful reference point if you get stuck or lack direction in your design later on.

SKETCH IT OUT, PLAY, MIX IT UP.
Let your design process take over, and develop your central idea thoroughly. Everybody has their own methods of logo design so I wont delve that far, but designing for yourself may be one of the only times you can exercise full creative control. Enjoy it. It wont last long.

SET A TIMELINE.
It’s easy to get carried away designing myriads of concepts, tweaking them until you think you can tweak no more. You’re not working for a client and so have the freedom to work til your little heart’s content. To save you from floundering, give yourself a deadline to work towards. Make a celebration of the day you achieve your goal as extra incentive. Go out to dinner, have a party or buy yourself something as a reward of a job well done. It’s a little like bribing yourself into action but hey, whatever works.

PERFECTIONISM IS A KILLER.
Along the same vein as setting a timeline, perfectionism can get in the way of action. And its action that’s going to get you where you need to be. A great quote I heard the other day: “Don’t let perfect get in the way of better” is a great motto for designers. I’m not professing that you don’t strive for the best, but the longer you concentrate on finding the ‘perfect’ look for yourself, you miss out on opportunities to work for others.

NOTHING IS SET IN STONE.
As digital media continues to overtake traditonal print media it can take little investment to make small changes to rebrand your image if you’re not 100% happy with it first time round. Your look will mature over time, so be proud of the work you have done thus far and look forward to improving it in the future.

You really could work forever on your own identity and miss the point of why you started in the first place, to promote yourself! To get out there with an image and start attracting clients. Keep the big picture in mind and dont get weighed down in indecision and perfectionism. 

Happy designing!
Andy