Finding the "get up and go" to get up and go

If any of you out there are anything like me, it takes almost all of my willpower and a great deal of effort to get anything important done. Completing homework is such a grind, and leaving the house for errands seem like such a bother.

So you may now be asking "Bradley, if you're this lazy, how do you possibly get anything done, you slacker?". Wow, rude. Well, to that I present you this: The Slacker's Guide to Getting S*** Done:

1. If you're going to get work done, do it in the morning.
This is a bit of a strange one, but I find if you have a task to do, get up early and do it then. You'll find there are less distractions, mainly because nothing interesting happens before 10am. This is s trick that I can attest to, mainly because I find that I have more focus and energy in the morning.

2. Don't work where you play.
This is a huge one. The idea behind this one is to get away from distractions, especially if you work on the same computer you use for gaming or other entertainment. My favourite place to work at is the local coffee shop. I feel just comfortable enough to enjoy a coffee and soak in the environment, and  just uncomfortable enough to want to get my work done and leave, and

As a bonus tip: If you're working less than 4 hours, don't bring a power adapter for your laptop. It'll discourage you from wasting precious battery life on anything other than your work.

3.  Procrastination is your greatest enemy.
Being stuck in the vicious loop of procrastination is like being stuck in a burning building and refusing to leave because it's warm. This might seem obvious, but if you catch yourself putting off your work, you need to break free of that cycle. Say you're marathoning your favourite television show on Netflix, and you know you have an important project to work on, it's a good idea to try something that breaks up your time. Grab a drink, take a shower, go for a walk, do anything that will break you from the comfortable routine you're in.

Following these three steps just might help you on your way to a less lazy you. At the very least, you can pretend to be less lazy using these tips.

Drop Dead-lines

Drop Dead-lines

Missed the post for last week... which ends up being a perfect segue into this(last) week's topic: Deadlines

Everyone endures deadlines. Whether it's with school, work, your taxes, even library books have them, but following them perfectly, that's a whole other story. We all miss the occasional one, and usually it's not a big deal; but what about those rare times when it is a big deal? 


Step 1: Own up to it.

No one cares about the miraculous chain of events that occurred, causing you to hand in your work late. Excuses sound like just that: Excuses. Own up to your error. Admitting your own mistakes will be a far better representation of character than any crazy situation you were involved in.


Step 2: Fix It.

Take the necessary steps to complete/submit the project. Whether it's asking for additional time, skipping other engagements, or pulling all-nighters, you need to finish and submit the project quickly. 


Step 3: Plan more effectively.

Take more time in the future when planning your schedule. Whether it's being more realistic with your time-estimates, taking on less work, or sacrificing your social life, your schedule is everything. A hectic schedule is far more prone to missed deadlines than an organized one. If you haven't already, try employing the calendar trick mentioned back in blog #2.


At the end of the day, procrastination is a punk and being able to hit deadlines will either make you or break you in the creative industry. No one hires anyone who, 60% of the time, delivers on time. 


—tom

When Creativity Flatlines

When Creativity Flatlines

Stoked! 3 views last week (instructor, mom, and me). And the show goes on...

This week: How to stay inspired. 

Amid your busy schedule, it is essential to keep the creativity flowing; a feat much easier said than done. When you're constantly designing, the "well" has a tendency to sometimes slow to a trickle, if not dry up completely. Fear not. Here are two of my favourite ways to hit refresh and escape a creative drought.

Pocket Pics.
These days, everyone has a camera in their pockets and it's time you took advantage of it. Use your phone to take quick pictures of anything and everything you find interesting. Like the pattern on your take-out box? Snap it. How about the graffiti scribbled on the side of the bus, or the design of that old sewing machine? Snap those things too. So many of my design ideas come from my phone's camera gallery. I scroll through it from time to time and find all sorts of cool things I've taken pictures of. I recently used a colour scheme that I had seen on a can of peaches, ages ago.

Become a Card Collector.
So much good design can be found on other people's business cards, and usually goes unnoticed. Mind you there's heaps of bad design too, but that's the beauty of business cards. I find myself keeping any cards that intrigue me, even if I don't know why, and I file them away for later. Looking back over your collection can help you identify styles or trends that you didn't know you like(d) or realize that you actually don't like a certain style. Either way, the card comparisons can provide a starting point for a project that you may have never even considered. 

Basically, just try to analyze everything you look at or interact with. Take that extra second to make a mental note on why you like it, or what you like about it. Chances are that, if you put the effort into thinking about it in the first place, somewhere down the line, the thought will pop back into your head when you need it, thus saving the day. Theoretically of course. 


—tom

Portfolio Templates

I thought I was close to finishing my portfolio project but apparently I need to start over.  I got a feedback from our instructor and what he said to me made sense.  When he browse through my portfolio page layout, he thought he didn't know which one to click on first (out of the six icons).   He recommended that I should put my most important piece or the best work I've done first.  My layout right now have three columns in round shapes and all six are equally sized but I explained to him that all my work - in terms of quality - they are equally the same.  I am still unsure of which direction I would like to concentrate on whether web design or print design, etc.  He said I could explain this in class during our presentation but now he made me think of changing my website altogether.  I don't have enough time but we'll see if I can tackle it in a few days...worst comes to worst I'll just have to present the original version.

I looked through this 200 best web design templates and now there's so many to choose from.
http://designm.ag/designer-showcase/200-portfolio-sites-webdesign-inspiration/