GRAPHIC DESIGN MENTOR

A PENNY for your thoughts

BY CHRIS SORICHETTI

Does anyone actually use this phrase anymore? I know it’s an old time saying, but it’s the sentiment behind it that I’m trying to focus on. During this time of a global pandemic, it has been hard to collaborate or get feedback as we normally would in a corporate setting or studio. In the right environment, giving or taking that proverbial penny to share your thoughts and ideas with colleagues tends to open discussions and hopefully sparks further creativity, concepts and conversation. This is where many have struggled as of late during these times of social-distancing and working from home. In what ways can we explore, share thoughts and find inspiration that we all need from time to time when we’re spending so much time alone? Below are a few ideas that I have tried over these long, socially-isolated months that have worked.

How are you staying

First off - get outside! Take a walk. Grab your phone and some headphones (or not) and get out. It might be raining and cold, but grab your umbrella and a coat because it’s worth it. Aside from having numerous health benefits, nature inspires us. There are so many things to see and do; watch the clouds moving in the sky, the leaves blowing in the wind or watch the hustle of the city and people going about their daily activities. The shapes, the sounds, the smells – they can all spark inspiration. Use your camera to capture your thoughts and ideas as they arise; record sounds or movie clips; jot some notes down in a notebook - whatever works! Turn up your favourite playlist and gather motivation from the music mixed with the beauty of outside and really focus on seeing more than just what’s right in front of you. For me, being outdoors more during working hours has given me healthier daily rituals, fostered greater creativity and in turn has resulted in increased productivity in my work.

While you’re outside, why not get that heart rate up - and I don’t mean by downing that fifth espresso. Getting some exercise during your work day helps you blow of some steam, enabling you to keep your mind focused. I work in a corporate world and pre-Covid, we would work until lunch, have a quick bite as a group and then be back at it; no other down time, no getting outside and no break from a screen. While working remotely, I’ve decided to make it a priority to take time at lunch to exercise 30 to 45 minutes at day. Some days it’s hard to find the motivation to do so, but I remind myself how much better I feel both mentally and physically after I do. Lately, I’ve been taking my little guy out on his lunch break and while he rides his bike, I run alongside him; like me, he gets some physical activity into his day to stay healthy and I’m also preparing myself to tackle the afternoon. Getting the blood flowing and getting my mind focused on something else for that short period of time has been a game changer for me.

If outside isn’t your thing, there are a bunch of websites I look at when in need. I’ve curated a number of bookmarked sites over the years that I visit frequently. Instagram is a good one for some mindless scrolling; the picture perfect imagery along with some well written captions can be of great inspiration. Searching your normal feed or a specific hashtag can help if you need to be precise. Behance is another great site for motivation. It’s a collection of a number of portfolios from around the world in various media. You can search by any topic or look at ‘Best of Behance’, which is a collection of random artists from day to day. Online magazines like adage. com, layersmagazine.com, and of course, United Colours of Design help as well. A quick search through Issuu can bring up numerous digital magazines that could solve your inspiration woes. While browsing online why not listen to your favourite music; it might be a playlist you have for how you’re feeling that day or just your favourite radio station. Music has a wonderful way of inspiring people and creates vision that may not appear in silence. Or, on the other end of the spectrum, maybe you would prefer to find some quiet time through meditation or being still in a quiet room just as effective.

Of course, there are many other ways of finding inspiration out there, writing, taking pictures, keeping a daily journal and more – it’s just a matter of finding the one that’s right for you. Find the balance of what inspires you and you’ll always have something to keep you creative.

I’m interested in hearing what you use to keep going, what inspires you? What keeps the creative in you moving? Find me on twitter @addysdadd and

@UCoDMagazine and let me know using #UCoDMagazine or on any of the social platforms! Keep moving, keep your eyes open, crank the tunes and always stay creative.