INSIGHT AUGUST 2019
COMPUTERARTS.CREATIVEBLOQ.COMDISCUSSIONTWEET @COMPUTERARTS OR FIND US ON FACEBOOKDEB PANG DAVIS
Graduate student (UX design & data visualisation),
University of Miami
http://www.debpangdavis.comDAVID ALVAREZ
Multimedia designer
http://www.davidmalvarez.com“Coffee. Then I take a walk or a bike
ride. Moving and open spaces
opens my mind.
Over the years, I’ve learned to pay
attention to my body. Mornings are my
sweet-spot time of day. Knowing I’m
most alert in the wee hours of magical
silence, I’m productive. I’m in the zone.
Afternoons can be a slog so I take a
walk; get outside and away from the
screen. Getting outside, looking at the
sky or better, out across water or a field,
is stretching my eyes. Movement is my
jump-start. Movement is health. I notice
perhaps insignificant but beautiful
things: leaf patterns after a storm,
broken spider webs, scattered petals...
These days, I commute to school by bike.
Fast or slow, I feel, hear, smell and see
more; my senses are heightened. It’s a
buzz, a high that I think, over time, helps
me feel more connected and observant
of the world and people around me.”“I use a workout routine that sparks
inspiration and fills me with energy.
Before going to sleep, I dig deep into a
challenge I’m dealing with, or an idea
I want to communicate, then go to sleep.
My routine starts at 5.30am. I get to the
gym, stretch slowly and with intention,
while thinking about the challenge at
hand. I do ab workouts or run on the
treadmill for 10 minutes, ask myself
questions and think of solutions.
Now for the fun part, I work out a
muscle: chest, back, lower body, arms
and so on. For example, one morning I’ll
do three to four back exercises that
consist of three sets, ranging from three
to 15 reps depending on weight. In
between my reps I ponder some more.
At the end of the workout I’ll have
activated my brain for the day, built a
good foundation to solve the challenge,
and most importantly will look good,
feel good and be energised.”What’s your go-to pickup when you’re
lacking energy and inspiration?
DESIGN LAD
3D illustrator and animation director
http://www.designlad.co.uk“Taking time out and doing anything
but trying to think of ideas is key for me.
In the past I would waste hours staring
at my screen or scrolling endlessly on
Instagram in the hope a spark would
come. But it never did, and instead
feelings of stress and frustration grew.
So now if I’m ever lacking inspiration,
I’ll spend time away from my studio,
turn my phone off and immerse myself
in some form of creativity that’s not
directly related with what I do.
Whether it be going to an exhibition,
looking at street art, listening to music
or reading a book outside, surrounding
yourself with amazing work and
learning from other people’s creativity
will free the mind, naturally inspire
projects and keep motivation high.
Getting out of my usual space and
disconnecting from everything also
helps me become more mindful, which
helps mental health, so it’s win-win.”ANDREW MANNING
Nina Simone... if I put
Nina on, you know
I mean business!@SI_CASE
Have a 10-minute
‘power-nap’. Works
every time.@JOHN_NAV
I go play with my five-year-
old daughter. Her fresh view
of things and boundless
curiosity always charges
my batteries.@BEN_CHATTER
A shower or dog walk...
basically something
completely different to what
I’m doing at the time. The joys
of working from home!@LAURYNIPSUM
Specifically for energy:
listening to Queen or the
Hamilton soundtrack.