6 simple tips to be your creative best
Success is No Accident
The French have a saying, “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” or “The more things change, the more they remain the same.” One of those things which never changes is how the pursuit of excellence requires identifying opportunities, realizing value and managing all the details.
In 1900 in France, architectural students at the school, Ecole des Beaux Arts, were given design problems to solve within allotted times. When the time was up, the students in the very last minutes would hurriedly run and throw their drawings into a two-wheeled cart called a charette, which carried their work over to the school for their critique. If students were way behind in finishing, they would often frantically jump into the cart to put final touches on their drawings. The word charette over time has evolved to mean the final, intense work effort expended by design students to meet project deadlines. To think, resolve and develop amazing projects. And, yes there is still a critique.
As the quarter nears its close at Miami Ad School students in all the creative programs prepare for their own charette and their hurried ride is underway to their final critique.
The first 90% of your work takes 90% of the time you have, and then the last 10% takes the other 90%.
The first 90% of your work takes 90% of the time you have, and then the last 10% takes the other 90%.” This humorous aphorism reveals the hidden allocation of time when doing a project. Understand how your due diligence, putting in extra time, playing and believing in yourself can create some really awesome work. And success is no accident either. As Paul Rand the legendary art director and designer imagined,”I had the courage or the audacity or the stupidity to take a chance. I didn’t know what the hell would happen.”
6 simple tips you can use on your journey to be the best:
- Get up early and work late. It’s the hard work you do after you think you’re tired that makes the difference.
- Focus on the hardest task first each day.
- Practice the details.“God is in the details,” said Mies Van der Rohe the great teaching architect.
- Anticipate and listen really well. Your confidence will grow.
- Practice self-development. Absorb what’s useful and let go of what is not.
- When you’re working and feeling a little afraid, slightly confused, want to be just perfect, or want to quit– keep moving forward! You are really almost there.
Revel in the hustle
Design students Sheba, Carson and Rowan prepare for their end-of-the-quarter critique
The first step to success is getting up in the morning. And when your job is coming up with crazy ideas — mornings are your gold mine. All those dreams are still floating around in your head. Get up and jot them down. Who knows? Maybe one idea combines with another idea and you have something really great. Something that changes everything. That makes a difference in the world. As a creative person your life is all about doing things differently. Remember little changes can grow into big ones. Do it.
