Krispy Kreme Doughnuts & a Pink Pen
Erika Firm

Most creative types have their own little ritual for starting new projects. It can be something simple, like printing a label for a fresh manila file, or sharpening a brand new pencil.

Or it can be something a bit more elaborate--like washing the windows in your office then picking all the dust out of your keyboard--before tackling a new project. An old boss used to go fishing before every new magazine issue was laid out. He said it helped him clear his head...and while some dismissed it as a brilliant pretense for getting a free afternoon off he really did come back to the office the next day with the new issue planned out. The trick is to recognize what triggers your best work: your optimal work environment and the tools you'll need; then use that knowledge to your advantage.

Before chocolatepeanut.com was launched a few years ago, it had been in the back of the founder's mind for years (sometimes even in the forefront). A few sketches here and there, a few scribbles in a notebook, even a few early outlines helped clear up the direction of the site, but when it came down to actually doing it...when she had the opportunity to really get started...there was one thing she had to do first: organize her desk. Without a clean desk (and surrounding space) this site would have remained a sketch on a cocktail napkin for several more years.

So how do you find your method? How do you recognize what inspires your best creative work? A simple way is to think back to when you were a student and were tackling a big project, then translate your old study environment into your current workplace. Visualize yourself working: are you alone, tucked between the stacks on the fourth floor of the library? You might do well working in a quiet conference room. Are you at the corner pizza joint with other students from your class? You'd probably work well in a shared office. Are you at a busy coffee shop? You might want to do a little brainstorming in the break room.

If your ideal work environment is unreasonable...say a hut in the tropics...try something on a smaller scale, like adding a lush plant, some plastic monkeys, and a cd of nature sounds to your cubicle.

While in college my husband did most of his studying while pacing around his apartment, wearing only his boxer shorts. He adjusted his tactics a bit when he joined the Marine Corps--it wasn't an option to strip every time he needed to get serious work done. Instead he cleared a path around his office to facilitate his pacing habit. He turned a few heads when he moved trashcans, printers, the coffee machine, and some desks around, but when he came up with viable solutions to his unit's problems his buddies stopped questioning his tactics. If you're like my college roommates, who usually studied together, you might work well in a shared office. Or try moving your desk near someone who also likes to work with a partner. This doesn't mean you have to work on each others' projects: just knowing that someone is nearby to help you remember how many hours ahead it is in Hong Kong will probably help you work more efficiently.

On the other hand, if you are one of those people who hogged an entire study table in the basement of the library, you might want to move your stuff to an empty conference room once in a while to work on a special project. Don't forget to tell co-workers where you are so you don't miss important calls.

Some people need to get away from the office to get their best work done. (The first draft of this article was written while sitting in the courtyard outside my office). Most bosses are amenable to this situation if you don't abuse it. Do you seem to get your best work done while working in a crowded coffee shop? Then make a special trip when you need some inspiration for your next project. It's probably the ambient noise of the coffee shop, not the double espresso, which is stimulating your creative juices, so if two-hour Starbucks breaks aren't an option, try moving to the break room or turning a radio on to a talk station for some background noise.

After you nail down your ideal work environment, think about the tools you like to use. Some people just need a clean desk and their favorite pen to start their next masterpiece. Others thrive in messy environments. What does it for you? Is it the scratch of a super-sharp pencil on a fresh legal pad? The way a heavy pen glides across the pages of your favorite notebook? The toxic smell of whiteboard markers? A blank computer screen? A fresh disc? A cocktail napkin?

When a choreographer friend of mine is in serious creative mode she heads to the counter at Krispy Kreme®, orders a single glazed doughnut and a large black coffee, and breaks out a Sharpie® marker and a stack of blank notecards. Personally I cannot start an editing project without my favorite pink pen. A photographer friend of mine swears vanilla ice cream has brain-stimulating properties--she keeps a gallon in the freezer at her studio. The brains behind Chocolatepeanut.com heads to the bookstore before starting big design projects: she soaks in images until she's saturated, then starts scribbling on notepads.

Sometimes just buying a new piece of equipment--new software or a brand new mouse pad or even a $2 mini-stapler--will get your creative juices flowing. My mother, a painter, jeweler and all around creative type, goes to the art supply store when she's in need of inspiration for a new piece. Somehow a new tube of white paint or a ball of twine leads her projects to take on lives of their own.

The bottom line is that everyone has their own quirky way of getting their work done. Take a trip to the office supply closet, pick out some work materials, then spend a few minutes visualizing your ideal work environment before jotting down some notes. Then brainstorm on how you can apply your ideal environment to your current workplace. If your ideal work environment is unreasonable...say a hut in the tropics...try something on a smaller scale, like adding a lush plant, some plastic monkeys, and a cd of nature sounds to your cubicle.

After reviewing your list and thinking of how you can change your work environment to foster creativity, take notice of the type of materials you chose to compile that list: did you make a list using your computer? A black marker and a blue Post-it® note? A legal pad and a fine ball-point pen? These are the tools you might want to use next time to you tackle a big project.


Erika Firm designs simply beautiful stationary and invitations. She owns Delphine Press, purveyor of elegant letterpress stationary, invitations, and announcements. Erika loves paper, the written word, all shades of green, the sound of the surf, café au lait, and weddings.

» email to a friend

Share