Kars (@koiztra) is a men’s fashion creator based in the Netherlands. When COVID hits his hometown, Kars must find time and space to navigate the ‘new normal’ by building an office in his attic, juggling a full-time job with his creative pursuits, while also taking care of his family and 4-year old daughter. Here’s how Kars gets it done:

‍

‍

On his work routine:

In the mornings I wake up 10 minutes to 6 as my daughter runs into the bathroom. I go down to walk the dog and prepare our breakfast. I take a quick shower, dress for the day and take my daughter to school. Then I get to work.

In my day-to-day I work in business development and sales at a global digital agency. Having worked with household brands including Levi’s and Chanel, my primary focus is to help our clients build loyalty with their customers and connect with them through digital channels.

At the end of my work day, if it’s my turn to cook dinner, I’ll go grocery shopping and get to cooking. I make sure to squeeze in some time to play with the little one too.

After I bring my daughter to bed in the evening, and I’ll either edit some photos or do some self-studying. Then I’m off to bed.

‍

‍

On his everyday carry:

I’m really enjoying the ISM backpack, especially in combination with the bottle and the charger. I go into the office, roughly two to three times a week now and the bag fits everything I need for my work.

I always have my MacBook, work phone, bottle of water, and chewing gum. I also carry a notebook and a pen for the ideas I have on the go. Can’t forget the daily necessities too, including: my wallet, iPhone, keys and AirPods. That’s basically it, I try to keep my everyday bag minimal and low in weight—carrying only the essentials I need to get to work.

‍

‍

On designing his workspace:

Prior to COVID, I actually never had my own workspace at home. So when lockdown began, I took some old cupboards from IKEA, picked up wood from a local hardware store and turned our attic into my very own office.

I wanted to cultivate a space where I could feel comfortable at home while also enjoy my work.

When it comes to my aesthetic eye, I’m drawn to a lot of neutral tones, white, black, and gray. I also love surrounding my space with things that inspire me. One photograph in my office is from an artist who creates stunning photos of surfing. To me, the image resembles the feeling of being totally free again. I appreciate having items that relax the mind but also minimal enough to maintain my productivity.

‍

‍

On the biggest challenge in COVID:

It was a normal day when lockdown was announced. I had meetings at the office. Clients visiting. Then suddenly from one day to the next, everything was work from home and fully digital. It was a total 180.

In addition to my own work, my partner was starting up a business. It became a challenge for my us because our 4-year old daughter came home as well (goodbye daycare, hello homeschooling). Suddenly two grown ups needed to work, school, and entertain all in one space.

The days felt like they were getting longer and longer, like I didn’t have time to breathe.

We knew we needed to find a balance.

‍

‍

‍

On new opportunities:

In many surprising ways, COVID introduced some interesting angles into my life. Designing my home office opened up a new avenue of interior photography for me. While my feed is usually focused on flat lays and product photography, I found myself experimenting with photos of my workspace and to my surprise, received a positive response from my audience. Fast forward to today, I now collaborate with interior brands too.

To add to that, it’s typically a struggle for parents to spend quality time with their kids when you have to be at work for most of the day. But as a young father, how often can you say that you’ve spent three whole months with your daughter every single day while also having a full-time job. That’s what I love about working from home, I can spend the extra minutes I take for commuting, for extra work breaks with my family.

‍

‍

On what he’s looking forward to:

Luckily the Netherlands handled COVID pretty well and lockdown only lasted about a month or two. The first thing we did was go to the lake near our house where there are some great restaurants (gotta support the local businesses!).

I’m back on traveling as well, and the backpack has perfect for that. The luggage strap is handy and makes it easy when traveling in the airport. My first destination is the South of France. My family and I went there about two years ago and we’d love to see it again. Great food, great environment, lovely beaches— totally my vibe. So looking forward to going there again.

‍

‍

‍

They say that the best way to understand a person is to look inside her bag. The items we choose to carry can reveal who we are to the rest of the world. When it comes to packing your work bag, it’s all about maximizing utility. Bag space is limited, and you can’t carry everything.

That’s why we polled over one thousand of our customers to discover the most common objects that people keep in their work bag. They range from the sort of stuff you would expect (chargers) to less common items (favorite chocolate bars). If you’re having trouble deciding what to keep (laptop) and what to toss (assorted coins that don’t fit in your wallet) this insight into the psychology of the average professional might help. From the least commonly to most commonly carried items in a work bag, can you guess what’s in the top 5?

‍

‍

‍

15. Others – 5.1%

For all the objects that aren’t big enough to have their own label and not small enough to be left out entirely. Here’s to the ‘Others,’ from the Nintendo Switch to a Lucky Rabbit’s Foot.

‍

‍

14. Shoes – 27%

Over one quarter of all respondents carry a pair of shoes in their work bag. Life hack for saving space (and time) – consider storing an extra pair of sneakers at your office or at the gym. You’ll thank yourself when you forget them that one time.

‍

‍

‍

13. Tablet – 30.8%

Tablets are an incredibly common and convenient alternative to the heavier laptop. If you’re looking to carry light, a professional tablet can provide you similar functionality at a fraction of the weight. Many of the respondents carry both a laptop and tablet in their bag as well.

‍

‍

‍

12. Clothes – 31.5%

Whether it’s an extra jacket for those windy days or a set of gym clothes, packing some extra clothes is popular with over 31% of our customers. The only downside? They can eat up space and add unnecessary weight. Consider limiting yourself to lighter clothing made of materials like jersey, or renting a locker at your gym.

‍

‍

11. Books – 39.5%

Reading a physical book can be a gem in this age where we’re constantly addicted to screens. If you want to save space, also consider a kindle or e-reader. You can download a kindle app to your phone and it will sync with your desktop or tablet apps.

‍

‍

‍

10. Papers – 46.5%

This is a work backpack, after all. Luckily, the workplace is becoming more and more digital, so a paperless future is entirely possible!

‍

‍

9. Pouches – 47.2%

Pouches are a great way to stay organized, especially when you’re on the go. From your tech pouch to your coin purse to your makeup pouch. Make organizing work for you and prevent clawing around your bag when you need to find that one thing.

‍

‍

‍

‍

8. Food/Snacks – 56.4%

Lunch in the city can be expensive. Just ask anyone who’s paid $15 for a sandwich on top of their $4 coffee. Packing lunch can be a great way to cut down some costs and some snacks throughout the day help satisfy those cravings too! Apples and oranges usually cost less than a dollar each, and they’re far lower in calories than the pseudo-healthy granola bars you might buy from a vending machine.

‍

‍

7. Notebooks – 62.5%

One of the best way to remember things is to write it down. You can save space by switching to an app like Notion, the “notes” function on some phones, or by using a Google Doc to jot down your thoughts. 

‍

‍

‍

6. Headphones – 63%

Listening to music is a great way to make your commute more enjoyable. Airpods are the obvious space saver, but if you don’t want to skimp on sound, over the ear headphones might be worth their weight. Some people also carry a set of wireless and over the ear headphones for different use cases.

‍

‍

5. Phone Charger – 67.1%

You can’t listen to music without a charged phone. That’s probably why the majority of people carry their charger with them in their bag, like the ISM Leather Charger.‍

‍

‍

4. Computer Charger – 71.9% 

When you bring your own laptop, a charger is essential. If space in your bag is tight, consider purchasing an additional charger and leaving it at work. Labeling it is a simple move that saves the headache of finding your charger later.

‍

‍

3. Water Bottles – 73.8%

We’re all probably dehydrated so it’s important to drink enough water throughout the day. Not only are reusable water bottles convenient, but they are better for the environment. You can fit more into your bag with a compact model, like ISM’s flat water bottle.

‍

‍

‍

2. Keys – 78.4%

The real question is – how is it possible that nearly one quarter of respondents don’t carry keys? How are they getting into their house?

‍

‍

‍

1. Laptop – 90%

The vast majority of people carry a laptop in their workbag. After all, this is the early 21st century and these are the working tools of the trade.

‍

‍

THE FIRST TIME I GOT PAID TO CREATE CONTENT…

It was for this letterboard company that reached out to me.

They were really the ones that propelled me down the path of content creation as a career.

It was such a great feeling to get paid for my work.

I loved the creative freedom around the project.

When I’m creating content I always start with a general idea. A theme. What do I want to convey?

I find it so important to have a story behind what I’m looking to create.

I’m big into kindness, support, uplifting others. I try to convey this on my own feed.

I know a flatlay isn’t an original idea, at the end of the day it’s just product and props.

But, I think if you convey a mood and narrative through colors, compositions, and color schemes, you can tell a meaningful story.

I’d like to create states of dreaminess and these unrealistic worlds that can speak to people at the same time.

So I go in with that idea.

WHERE I GO FOR INSPIRATION

I think it’s important to get your inspiration from a lot of places.

At times it can be a struggle for me to come up with a good idea.

I tend to look to arts, to books. Books that aren’t necessarily on the Top 10 Read List.

I think it’s important to feed your creativity in places where not everyone else is going.

Consuming different content introduces me to so many contradictory things that I wouldn’t necessarily think about myself, but it gets me thinking in a certain way.

That’s why I try to avoid Pinterest as a place for inspiration.

There’s a lot of the same and I think whether you want to or not you subconsciously absorb it.

MY CREATIVE PROCESS

I love using pen and paper.

I like to sketch out my flatlays first.

If I can come up with a fun play on words, I’ll write that down, then I’ll usually draw out what props I’m including in the flatlay.

I don’t think I’ll ever show anyone my sketches as they’re super rough, but it gives me an idea of what I want to do.  

After my sketches, I get to the creating.

I’ll gather all my materials, my DSLR, tripod, backdrop, elements, and then I’ll just start composing.

A lot of times the end result is improvised.

I tend to stick to the color schemes of what I have planned out, but the elements and props included tend to change a little bit.

Sometimes I feel like “Oh I should add a bit more coziness”, or “I should add a quote here” or what have you. There’s a lot of improvisation that happens when I create, which I think is important.

I think it’s okay to deviate a little from your plan as long as the general idea is still there.

That’s the fun part.

When I’m in my space, I’m able to visualize the shot. As long as the lighting is great, I know when it’s a good shot.

When I first started I would take an exorbitant amount of photos, though I’ve learned now it’s not much of a necessity.

I think it’s a part of the learning process.

Experience teaches you where this prop should sit, how to play with lighting, how to be more efficient.

When I first started, I wasn’t confident at all in what I was creating.

I thought “this isn’t good”, “what am I doing?”

As I started to create more I learned more about what works for clients, what works for yourself.

I think it comes down to experience.

That’s why I tell people if you’re into something make it a part of your everyday.

When I go out and do stuff, my brain is always in flatlay mode.

When you make something a part of your everyday experience, it’s so ingrained in you that I feel like you just intuitively know what’s going to work and what’s not going to work.

Like all things, it takes time. But you never forget that first one.

MICHELLE’S TOP TIPS FOR CREATING A FLATLAY

1. Understand Composition

Composition plays a big role in creating a flatlay that will resonate. It’s important to balance out colors. I tend to do a lot more neutrals than color. I think it’s important to understand color and how they play with each other

2. Get Great Lighting

Understand how to play with lighting. Some people are like “I don’t like my flatlay because it has shadows, but I think that shadows can be good because it creates a mood. It’s about understanding the aesthetic of the flatlay you’re trying to create and letting lighting create that mood.

3. Get Your Props in Order

Sometimes what people will do is they’ll put all the same size props together. Or they’ll put too many circles. But it’s important to play with the size of your products, so the main event (the hero) stands out and everything else compliments it.

4. Be Yourself!

Just because something is trendy or popular doesn’t necessarily mean you need to hop on board if it doesn’t resonate with you. For personal flatlays, put as much of yourself in them. That’s how it resonates with the right people!

Michelle is a content creator focused on product styling and photography.  

You can find her flatlays and other work on her Instagram @mich.elle.imagery

‍

Emma (@thecrapflat) is a content consultant and creator who works from her stubborn but endearing London home, she refers to as the ‘crap flat.’ As the city hovers a second lockdown due to COVID-19, Emma designs her workspace and routine to adapt to a new normal.

Here’s how Emma gets it done:

‍

‍

On her work routine:

On a standard day, I take a shower, make a coffee, and even go for a walk if the weather is nice. Next, I do that thing that people aren’t supposed to do, which is check Instagram and email first thing in the morning. After an hour or so, I get to work.

In my day job, I work as a content consultant. From copywriting to developing brand bibles, my work is about finding the ways brands can express themselves while still remaining authentic. I am very process-driven and before I write anything, I ask myself: Who am I speaking to? What are they doing when they’re reading this? As a writer, you need to be able to place yourself in the minds of different people. It may sound boring, but it’s essential for me to have that information first.

Depending on the project, I try to block out time in my day while also tuning into 5-10 minute breaks. I make sure to move away from my desk because when you’re doing something creative like writing, it’s easy for the words to just turn into spaghetti. I’ll typically make myself a cup of tea or go for a bit of fresh air.

‍

‍

On packing for the day:

My everyday pack is filled with all the essentials and then some, to ensure safe travels. In my backpack you’ll find me carrying my laptop, phone, and bottle of water, of course.

In the main compartment, I also have my hairbrush, hand sanitizer, face mask, and an apple, because who leaves home without snacks?

Lastly, I have my notebook with me at all times for those tasks and ideas I have on the go.

‍

‍

On designing her workspace:

When designing my office, I turned to local cafes and interior design accounts for inspiration. The area we live in has loads of cafes with beautiful and minimal interiors. From there, I discovered my love for a neutral color palette and for a white and grey aesthetic for my own place.

My workspace has always been designed to prioritize function. The unique saddle chair we have is fully ergonomic and adjustable to different body types. The wings of the chair hold your upper body and help you sit up properly, it’s my absolute favorite thing. Our desk is also a standing desk so that my much taller boyfriend can move it up to his height if he wants to stand while he’s working.

‍

‍

I designed my interior in a way that’s not only functional, but also minimal enough to easily stow away clutter at the end of each day. I like to pack everything I have until I’m left with the purest version of my work environment.

As an introvert, I need my space to be this kind of safe cocoon away from the world when I get home. If I’ve been out for an event or a meeting with a client, I love that I can come home to this calm sanctuary that just envelopes you. Whenever I think about decorating any space, I always start with the feeling first. That philosophy has served me well so far.

‍

‍

On the biggest challenge of working from home:

Oh man, my mental health has been a challenge throughout all of lockdown, particularly with work. It’s taxing to keep focus on what feels normal when the world is in a terrifying state. I manage my mind by putting more structure into my day and having a list to get through to prevent myself from thinking on the sofa for hours.

‍

‍

On habits for productivity:

In the mornings I journal to clear my head for the day. I do this so that anything that’s been nagging at me is out of my head and on paper. From there, I jot a list of things I want to get through that week so I can check things off as I go. There’s nothing more satisfying than finishing my to-do list.

Since sharing my workspace with my partner, I’ve become less regimented with work. We’ve developed a system where I spend the morning working on the sofa and then in the afternoons, I switch to the office space. It’s quite intense for couples living in small spaces, but we’ve found new ways to compromise and maintain our productive workflows (all the while still liking each other!).

‍

‍

On what she’s looking forward to:

I’ve spent so long trying to focus on how I can benefit from lockdown and the balance it gives, there’s almost a danger attached to imagining a future beyond this new normal. But if I could choose one thing, it would be to travel again.

My partner and I would love to go on a hiking trip to local nature spots just outside of London. When I pack for travel, I can pack a luggage like nobody’s business, but carry-on is the tough one. I ask myself: How much can I carry? How much can it weigh? When I saw the ISM bag, I knew it was going to be perfect for that.

For workdays or weekend trips, you’ll always have easy access to your water bottle and a safe place to put your laptop. I know that no matter where I go next, this bag is going to make such a difference than having to race around with multiple tote bags.

I’m looking forward to getting out there, feel a different sun on my face, and just get to grips with the world once again.

‍

For Lisa (@lisadieder), life before the pandemic consisted of creative directing, producing, and shooting commercial photography spanning a wide range of specialties. From interiors, lifestyle, food and beverage, to architecture and product — photography is a craft she’s been honing for the last 10 years. When COVID-19 hits her hometown of Nashville, Lisa must find a way to navigate her business, a creative company she built from the ground up that started in Sydney, Australia, and moved all the way to the US. Alongside her husband who is also her business partner, and their two (incredibly adorable) pups, Frankie and Ozzy, Lisa creates a space and routine to carry the ‘new normal.’

Here’s how Lisa gets it done:

‍

‍

On her work routine:

Since I’m typically working from home these days, I automatically wake up early and grab some coffee. My husband, Sam makes the absolute best coffee in the mornings. We normally sit in the dining room and chat about our day ahead because we work together. As a photo and video duo, I focus on photo and composition to ensure we portray the brand’s personality and capture the perfect angle, while my husband specializes in video and lighting to ensure that every detail is perfectly played.

We start the day with a quick morning meeting for 15-20 minutes, then I’ll hop over to the office to deal with emails in my inbox. After working through those, I normally have a couple of calls with our clients to get a sense of their vision for the shoot. I love solving the variety of problems that come with capturing different subjects. Similar to the way your personal style changes over time, my taste and style are ever-evolving.

From there, we’ll have a break for lunch and then head back to production planning emails, editing, and whatever the day calls for. By 5:30 (if we’re lucky) we take our dogs out for a walk and try to do a little home workout before dinner.

One of the reasons why we love running our own business is for the flexibility in our day-to-day. Some days we are all over the place, on shoots, meetings with clients, scouting locations, or prepping props. Everyday is super different, but my office has definitely been home base for all my work.

‍

‍

On her daily carry:

Since we shoot live for our clients, we always carry a laptop that can’t be jumbled around with the rest of our camera equipment. You’ve got laptop, cords, mouse, hard drives, along with shot lists and schedules printed and ready to go. It is so important for us to have a strong and functional work bag dedicated to our review tools. That’s what’s so awesome about the ISM bag. By nature, it’s functional yet comfortable, and I don’t feel like I’m going to a board meeting. It serves the purpose of keeping everything protected and organized. Overall, it really really helps when we’re taking all of our equipment to photoshoots.

The bag has been useful for day-to-day activities too. We have a nice walkable neighborhood, so when things slowly open up again, you can find me going to meetings at some of our local coffee shops or even just outdoors on the patios carrying a couple of references, like our iPad or some notebooks to plan out shoots with our client.

‍

‍

On designing her workspace:

While I’m not an interior designer, I simply wanted my space to feel like the warm, morning sunshine. I love those moments in the morning when I can just take a seat, have a coffee at my desk, and start to feel really productive. I wanted that glow to extend throughout my surroundings so I added white and yellow tones to my office to hold on to the feeling of productivity all day.

My workspace is the zone I feel focused and ready to work. While photoshoots are glamorous and exciting, there is also a lot of work that goes into planning, preparing, and post-production editing to make sure we deliver the vision of the work promised. The balance is 50/50: for every minute we’re shooting, we’re also editing, so this space is definitely conducive to that, which is awesome.

‍

‍

On the biggest challenge in COVID:

COVID felt extremely drastic. I mean, from having a nationwide lockdown to shifting our entire lives, it had a huge impact on our lives collectively and individually.

The biggest challenged happened in our business when a lot of our clients weren’t sure how to move forward with our projects. In that moment, we just needed to hit the pause button and try to make the best of the situation by focusing on ourselves and keeping in touch with our friends and family.

After restrictions were lifted a bit, we were able to safely do some interior work as a single household. We were able to do a couple of campaigns and new kind of brand work for some of our clients during the last five months. But besides that, we needed to pivot and figure out how to move forward in the safest way possible for ourselves, our clients, and our team.

‍

‍

On habits for productivity:

One habit that’s important to me is having a solid morning routine.

It was challenging to comprehend what to do in the mornings since we didn’t have a shoot or a full schedule to attend to. So having that morning routine really grounded me. Simply waking up, having a coffee, going to our computers to check on some things.

In the afternoons, I’d look at my husband like, “hey, do you go from that walk?”

Our afternoon walks became a must-have as well. It was so nice heading to the park around the corner for some fresh air, while playing fetch with the dogs. The carefree nature felt so great. This lockdown definitely makes you appreciate those little moments of simply walking your dogs or even going to the grocery store.

‍

‍

On what she’s looking forward to:

My hope is that we come out of this year being more present, and really paying attention to what’s going on in the world. Acknowledging what’s important and expressing gratitude for even the little things. I think those principles will carry through if we don’t let the pace and speed of the world swallow us back up again.

With that said, I am very excited to have a little bit of a social life again. Being back on set with all the people I love, mask-free and back into the swing of things. While slowing down every once in awhile is nice, I am definitely a go, go, go person and can’t wait to get back to that mentality.

‍

‍

‍

‍

We’re creatures of habits. Habits that make up our daily routine and enable us to do our best work. Everyone has a different routine. It’s what works for them. There’s no right or wrong way of doing the work that we enjoy. While we each have our ways of doing, there are still lessons that we can learn from the routines of others. To stand on the shoulders of giants so that we may come across an idea or insight that we can apply ourselves.

ON DISCIPLINE

“Routine in an intelligent man, is a sign of ambition,” the poet W.H. Auden wrote in his diary. For Auden, maintaining a daily ritual required willpower and discipline. Discipline, for the philosopher William James, came down to automatizing daily decisions. To “make our nervous system our ally instead of our enemy.” James adds:

“The more of the details of our daily life we can hand over to the effortless custody of automatism, the more our higher powers of mind will be set free for their own proper work.” [1]

One way to automatize your daily routine is to keep an exact timetable schedule. That’s what English composer Benjamin Britten felt was most important to him:

“I like working to an exact timetable. And I can without much difficulty sit down at nine o’clock in the morning and work straight through the morning until lunchtime, then in the afternoon letters — or, rather more important, is that I go for a walk, where I plan out what I’m going to write in the next period at my desk. I then come back. After tea, up to my studio and work through until about eight o’clock. After dinner I usually find I’m too sleepy to do much more than read a little bit, and then go to bed early.” [2]

Repeating a schedule can put you into a state of mesmerism. It’s the repetition without variation that writer Haruki Murakami believes is the key:

“I keep to this routine every day without variation. The repetition itself becomes the important thing; it’s a form of mesmerism. I mesmerize myself to reach a deeper state of mind.” [3]

Murakami’s schedule included waking up at 4am and working for six hours straight. In the afternoon he would go for a swim or run (sometimes both), followed by errands, reading, music, and bedtime at 9pm.

Charles Dickens and the psychologist B.F. Skinner also believed in time and precision. For Dickens:

“No city clerk was ever more methodological or orderly than he no humdrum, monotonous, conventional task could ever have been discharged with more punctuality or with more business-like regularity than he gave to the work of his imagination and fancy.” [4]

If there is anyone who might have been more meticulous than Dickens with their schedule, it was B.F. Skinner. The behavioral psychologist would apply his own experimental ideas to his routine. He kept a timer that would make a loud buzz whenever an activity was scheduled to end:

“My work desk is a long Scandinavian-modern table, with a set of shelves I made myself for holding the works of BFS, notebooks and outlines of the book I am working on, dictionaries, word-books, etc. On my left the big Webster’s International on a stand, on my right an open-top file containing all current and future manuscript materials. As I sit down I turn on a special desk light. This starts a clock, which totalizes my time at my desk. Every twelve hours recorded on it, I plot a point on a cumulative curve, the slope of which shows my overall productivity. To the right of my desk is an electric organ, on which a few minutes each day I play Bach Chorales etc.” [5]

For Twyla Tharp, the mark of a daily routine isn’t about timekeeping as much as it is about the places she frequents. When describing her routine, she notes:

“I begin each day of my life with a ritual: I wake up at 5:30am, put on my workout clothes, my leg warmers, my sweatshirts, and my hat. I walk outside my Manhattan home, hail a taxi, and tell the driver to take me to the Pumping Iron gym at 91st Street and First Avenue, where I work out for two hours. The ritual is not the stretching and weight training I put my body through each morning at the gym; the ritual is the cab. The moment I tell the driver where to go I have completed the ritual.” [6]

Like Tharp, novelist Edmund Wilson also used physical reminders in his daily routine. Wilson had a daily writing goal that he needed to complete every day:

“You have to set a goal for each day and stick to it. I usually try to do six pages.” [7]

Murikami, Tharp, Auden, and Dickens saw their routine as a positive sign of discipline. Not every iconic creative felt the same. Some maintained their routine out of fear. Leo Tolstoy maintained his routine out of fear of missing out:

“I must write each day without fail, not so much for the success of the work, as in order not to get out of my routine.” [8]

A disciplined routine doesn’t work for everyone. For the writer Marilynne Robinson, writing only works when inspiration strikes:

“I write when something makes a strong claim on me. When I don’t feel like writing, I absolutely don’t feel like writing. I tried that work ethic thing a couple of times — but if there’s not something on my mind that I really want to write about, I tend to write something that I hate.” [9]

The composers Pyotr Illycih Tchaikovsky and Frédéric Chopin also felt the same. Tchaikovsky wrote:

“The seed of a future composition usually reveals itself suddenly, in the most unexpected fashion. If the soil is favorable — that is, if I am in the mood for work, this seed takes root with inconceivable strength and speed, bursts through the soil, puts out roots, leaves, twigs, and finally flowers: I can not define the creative profess except through this metaphor. All the difficulties lie in this: that the seed should appear, and that it should find itself in favorable circumstances. All the rest happens of its own accords. It would be futile for me to try and express to you in words the boundless bliss of that feeling which envelops you when the main idea has appeared, and when it begins to take definite forms. You forget everything, you are almost insane, everything inside you trembles and writhes, you scarcely manage to set down sketches, one idea presses upon the other.” [10]

Chopin’s worked in a similar way to Tchaikovsky. In short bursts of inspiration that seemed anything but effortless:

“His creation was spontaneous and miraculous. He found it without seeking it, without foreseeing it. It came on his piano, suddenly, complete, sublime, or it sang in his head during a walk, and he was impatient to play it himself. But then began the most heart-rendering labor I ever saw. It was a series of efforts, of irresolutions, and of frettings to seize again certain details of a theme he had hard what he had conceived as a whole he analyzed too much when wishing to write it, and his regret at not finding it again, in his opinion, clearly defined, threw himself into a kind of despair. He shut himself up in his room for whole days, weeping, walking, breaking his pens, repeating and altering a bar a hundred times, writing and effacing it as many times, and recommencing the next day with a minute and desperate perseverance. He spent six weeks over a single page to write it at last as he had noted it down at the very first.” [11]

Brief, but intense periods of productive work also was a part of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work habits. Fitzgerald came from a military background and practiced intense discipline in his whole life. With his most creative work, no amount of discipline could will his productivity:

“Stories are best written in either one jump or three, according to the length. The three-jump story should be done in three successive days, then a day or so for revise and off she goes.” [12]

The writers Arthur Miller and Toni Morrison also swear by an irregular work habit. For Miller, there was no regular routine:

“I wish I had a routine for writing. I get up in the morning and I go out to my studio and I write. And then I tear it up! That’s the routine really. Then, occasionally, something sticks. And then I follow that. The only image I can think of is a man walking around with an iron rod in his hand during a lightning storm.” [13]

For Morrison, a lack of routine came from other responsibilities and not a lack of inspiration:

“I am not able to write regularly. I have never been able to do that — mostly because I have always had a nine-to-five job. I have to write either in between those hours, hurriedly or spend a lot of weekend and predawn time. But the most important thing is that I don’t do anything else… When I sit down to write I never brood. I have so many other things to do, with my children and teaching, that I can’t afford it. I brood, thinking of ideas, in the automobile when I’m driving to work or in the subway or when I’m mowing the lawn. By the time I get to the paper something’s there — I can produce.” [14]

Is there a middle ground between an obsessive schedule and one that relies on a spark of inspiration? Nicholson Baker and Anne Rice believe so. For Baker, keeping to an obsessive routine is a must, but only if it is always changing:

“What I’ve found with daily routines is that the useful thing is to have one that feels new. It can almost be arbitrary. You know, you could say to yourself, ‘From now on, I’m only going to write on the back porch in flip flops starting at four o’clock in the afternoon.’ And if that feels novel and fresh, it will have a placebo effect and it will help you work. Maybe that’s not completely true. But there’s something to just the excitement of coming up with a slightly different routine. I find I have to do it for each book, have something different.” [15]

Changing routines is something that Anne Rice thinks is the key to her literary success. The newness allows her to adapt to different stages of her life. Writing in the early hours of the morning worked for her first novels. When her son was born, she switched to writing during the day:

“I certainly have a routine, but the most important thing, when I look back over my career, has been the ability to change routines.” [16]

ON WORK AIDS

The archetype of a creative genius is one of the extremes. Some engaged in long periods of sustained output, followed by impulsive hedonism. Others turned to “work aids” as a complement to their daily routine.

Coffee seems to be the most popular work enhancing supplement across creative types. Søren Kierkegaard was a routine coffee drinker with an obsessive daily ritual:

“He owned at least fifty sets of cups and saucers, but only one of each sort — and that, before coffee could be served, Levin (his secretary) had to select which cup and saucer he preferred that day, and then, bizarrely justify his choice to Kierkegaard. Delightedly, he would seize hold of the bag containing the sugar and poured sugar into the coffee cup until it was piled up above the rim. Next came the incredibly strong, black coffee, which slowly dissolved the white pyramid. The process was scarcely finished before the syrupy stimulant disappeared into the magister’s stomach, where it mingled with the cherry to produce additional energy that percolated up into his seething and bubbling brain — which in any case had already been so productive all day that in the half-light Levin could still notice the tingling and throbbing in the overworked fingers when they grasped the slender handle of the cup.” [17]

Honoré de Balzac also swore by coffee, consumed to the extreme. He drank as many as fifty cups of black coffee a day, relentlessly writing away:

“He ate a light dinner at 6:00 P.M., then went to bed. At 1:00 A.M. he rose and sat down at his writing table for a seven-hour stretch of work. At 8:00 A.M. he allowed himself a ninety-minute nap; then, from 9:30 to 4:00 he resumed work, drinking cup after cup of black coffee.” [18]

Many also turned to alcohol to aid the creative process. For Patricia Highsmith, she enjoyed a stiff drink accompanied with cigarettes:

“Her favorite technique to ease herself into the right frame of mind for work was to sit on her bed surrounded by cigarettes, ashtray, matches, a mug of coffee, a doughnut, and an accompanying saucer of sugar. She had to avoid any sense of discipline and make the act of writing as pleasurable as possible. She was also in the habit of having a stiff drink before she started to write. Not to perk her up, but to reduce her energy levels, which veered towards the manic.” [19]

Highsmith’s preference was vodka, and she set herself a daily limit for the day by marking the bottle. Others, like Toulouse-Lautrec indulged in stronger concoctions.

The musician Louis Armstrong preferred marijuana as his source of inspiration. He thought that smoking a joint was far superior to any form of alcohol:

“Armstrong never ate dinner before a show, but he would sometimes go out for a late supper afterward or, more often, retreat to his hotel room for a room-service meal or take-out Chinese food, his second-favorite cuisine (after red beans and rice). Then he would roll a joint, catch up on his voluminous correspondence, and listen to music on the two reel-to-reel tape recorders that followed him wherever he went.” [20]

If cannabis helped with calming the mind, some turned to stimulants for speed (no pun intended). Mathematician Paul Erdős liked to work in short, intense periods of collaboration. He took ten to twenty milligrams of Benzedrine or Ritalin daily along with shots of espresso:

“He only needed three hours of sleep. He’d get up early and write letters, mathematical letters. He’d sleep downstairs. He’d want to work from 8:00 A.M. until 1:30 A.M. Sure we’d break for short meals but we’d write on napkins and talk math the whole time. He liked to say, ‘A mathematician is a machine for turning coffee into theorems.” [21]

Not everyone relied on work aiding substances to fuel their creative process. The writer, George Sand didn’t believe in the need for using any kind of substance:

“It is said that some artists abuse their need for coffee, alcohol, or opium. I do not really believe that, and if it sometimes amuses them to create under the influence of substances other than their own intoxicating thoughts, I doubt that they kept up such lubrications or showed them off. The work of the imagination is exciting enough, and I confess I have only been able to enhance it with a dash of milk or lemonade, which would hardly qualify me as Byronic.” [22]

ON TIME OF DAY

Morning person or a night owl. Most creative types seem to prefer one time of day over the other. Georgia O’Keefe found the solitude for painting during the early hours of the morning:

“I like to get up when the dawn comes. The dogs start talking to me and I like to make a fire and maybe some tea and then sit in bed and watch the sun come up. The morning is the best time, there are no people around. My pleasant disposition likes the world with nobody in it.” [23]

Gunter Grass also liked to work during the day, although not because of a need for solitude. For Grass, writing in the night was easy, but it often produced work that wasn’t good enough:

“I don’t believe in writing at night because it comes too easily. When I read it in the morning it’s not good. I need daylight to begin. Between nine and ten o’clock I have a long breakfast with reading and music. After breakfast, I work, and then take a break for coffee in the afternoon. I start again and finish at seven o’clock in the evening.” [24]

William Faulkner also preferred the morning daylight. Known for his fast pace, Faulkner often wrote over three thousand words a day:

“He would wake early, eat breakfast, and write at his desk all morning. He liked to work in the library, and since the library door had no lock, he would remove the doorknob and take it with him. After a noon lunch, he would continue repairs on the house and take a long walk or go horseback riding. In the evenings Faulkner and his wife would relax on the porch with a bottle of whiskey.” [25]

While a morning routine worked for some, it was inconceivable to others, like Glenn Gould. The pianist was nocturnal, avoiding the daylight and only working in the dark of the night:

“I tend to follow a very nocturnal sort of existence, mainly because I don’t care much for sunlight. Bright colors of any kind depress me, in fact, and my moods are more or less inversely related to the clarity of the sky on any given day. Matter of fact, my private motto has always been that behind every silver lining there’s a cloud. So I schedule my errands for as late an hour as possible, and I tend to emerge along with the bats and the raccoons at twilight.” [26]

Ann Beattie also thinks that the night brings about her best work. Her favorite hours are from 12am to 3am for writing:

“I really think that people’s bodies are on different clocks. I even feel now like I just woke up and I’ve been awake for three or four hours. ANd I’ll feel this way until seven o’clock tonight when I’ll start to pick up and then by nine it will be O.K. to start writing. My favorite hours are from 12:00 to 3:00 A.M. for writing.” [27]

Not being a morning person was natural to write Steve Reich as well. He used the day to conduct business meetings and run errands, saving the night for creative work:

“I would say, if you look at everything I’ve ever written, ninety-five percent of it would have been written between twelve noon and twelve midnight.” [28]

Burning the midnight oil was a habit for painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. He too had an active daily schedule filled with a Parisian lifestyle of hedonism:

“Toulouse-Lautrec drank constantly and slept little. After a long night of drawing and binge-drinking, he would often wake early to print lithographs, then head to a cafe for lunch and several glasses of wine.” [29]

For Pablo Picasso, he went to bed late and got up late. His sheer endurance allowed him to create a large output of work – over a painting a day. He would paint standing up for four, five hours straight without the need to rest or take a break:

“At the boulevard de Clichy, he would shut himself in the studio by 2pm and work there until at least dusk. Meanwhile, his girlfriend of seven years, Fernande, was left alone to her own devices, hanging around the apartmen, waiting for Picassoc to finish his work and join her for dinner. When he finally emerged from his studio, however, he was hardly good company. He rarely spoke duringmeals; sometimes he would not utter a word from beginning to end. He seemed to be bored, when he was in fact absorbed.” [30]

‍

I chose the color black because that’s what designers wore. Or at least my muses. For someone who knew nothing about designing a physical product or creating fashion, I thought that at the very least I could feel like I was Rei Kawakubo or Alexander Wang.

In college, I was a history major. It’s not a degree that has given me any tangible hard skills that I would find useful today and at the same time it is the one piece of formal education that has shaped me the most. During my junior year, I wrote a research paper on the neoclassical architecture of Germany prior to the Second World War. Before going any further, I would like to make a point that the atrocities of this period are beyond speakable. In high school I was fortunate enough to make a trip to Eastern Europe to visit the places where such horrors took place. It gave me perspective. In today’s era of cancel culture, I think it’s important to be able to separate certain wrongdoings from other, more sincere intentions. For Germany during this period, it was their views on architecture. 

Like the period of Classicism that came before it, the designers of this time believed that architecture should leave a lasting impression on its subject. An impression of awe and splendor that comes from a feeling that you are a part of something larger and greater than yourself. Objects that are minimal and uniform and symmetrical and tasteful in their aesthetic values. Values that extend to ideas like solidity and posterity. The tall, uniform columns of the Pantheon in Greece. The White House. Landmarks that have stood the test of time in a way that modernism can not and will not, be it in architecture or fashion or design.

In a way, the people who adopt a daily uniform seem to be seeking something similar. Yes there is an argument to be made about saving mental energy for tasks that are more valuable. But there is always more than what meets the surface. Take the well known story of how Steve Jobs wore the same turtleneck and pair of jeans everyday. Lesser known is that he commissioned the iconic designer Issey Miyake to create a custom design specifically for him or that he initially wanted all Apple employees to adopt a work uniform after being inspired by a Japanese company that had adopted this ethos. The same can be said about the wardrobes of Mark Zuckerberg or Anna Wintour or the person you know from work who initially comes off as a bit too extra when he tries to pull it off. What architects and politicians and aristocrats of the old sought to achieve with architecture, the businesswomen and creators of today are doing with the uniform that they wear. The buildings have become the builders.  

For me, what started as a way of quieting my imposter syndrome grew into something more. My daily uniform provided me with an identity and its strength and consistency empowered me to do the work that I needed to do. This followed me whenever and wherever I would go. At first I experimented with different versions of the all black uniform. I had always liked wearing white shoes and am guilty of skipping a puddle or two in order to keep them fresh and sparkly. So I was able to find something that felt a bit more unique in pairing a black shirt or hoodie with black pants and white socks and white shoes. Over time, I found the perfect black hoodie from Uniqlo (one with outer pockets that are slits in the fabric instead of the ones that protrude like your average hoodie). I discovered my perfect pant from a fabric market in Hong Kong. White shoes were interchangeable, but they had to be white and with white socks only too.

As my personal uniform solidified into the only type of clothing in the closet of my small bedroom in the shared apartment of my San Francisco neighborhood, I began to subconsciously share the same ethos and ideas into the product that I was creating. A backpack that was more than just a backpack.

On how childhood shaped her ambitions: So I come from a family of entrepreneurs and growing up, my dad was always working really long hours and doing a lot of different things. This idea of working hard came naturally to me. I see a lot of value in it and I’m always trying to better myself and learn. Even when I was a kid, I had side hustles. I would make things out of paper and sell them at school. It was called “Morgan’s Box” and it was envelopes, my custom letters, and postcards. I’d sell them for $2 dollars. I quickly learned how satisfying it was to create things that others truly enjoyed.

‍

‍

‍

On daily routines: I wake up usually around 7am every morning. OK, sometimes earlier and sometimes later, but I try to keep it to 1 alarm. I like to spend time with my dog in the morning and then I’ll make breakfast, get ready, and go to work. I usually get in around like 8:30am and then my day basically consists of coding all day. I work on a dev ops team and we all work in the same room. What’s great about small teams is that it’s very collaborative. We have meetings a couple of times a week, but its really easy to ask for help or be on the same page when we’re all in the same space. At lunch, I’ll come home, play with my dog, and then head back to work. When I get home from work is when my day really starts. Whether it’s working on my side projects or creating content for Instagram. I’ve met some amazing people on Instagram who I know will be my lifelong friends.

On what’s in her bag: I use the ISM Backpack with black zippers and I always have my laptop and two headphones with me. Airpods and a noise canceling one for the office. My planner is essential and then necessities like lip balm, lotion, a water bottle, and a phone charger. I also carry my iPad with me usually every day. Even if I don’t use it, I prefer to take notes on my iPad instead of pen and paper.

On favorite song for getting in the flow: I like to listen to a lot of underground music. Ones that have under five thousand plays on SoundCloud. It’s really cool to see these artists kind of blow up and get big and to be a part of their journey of making music. The one I’m listening to now is Belis. She’s gotten pretty big in the past couple of months and it’s cool to watch people grow like that. For me, it’s really motivating.

On being a visual creative: I’ve always loved making things and I’m a very visual person. It started with graphic design and my love affair with photoshop. I started with an Etsy shop selling custom planners because I realized I could intermix my interest in visual design with making planners. It’s kind of cool to make something that people can use every day and this idea is what led me to web app development.

‍

My hair is always done by six o’clock in the morning and by seven I am fully dressed. I then compose until nine. From nine to one I give lessons. Then I lunch, unless I am invited to some house where they lunch at two or even three o’clock, as, for example, today and tomorrow at Countess Zichy’s and Countess Thun’s.

I can never work before five or six o’clock in the evening, and even then I am often prevented by a concert. If I am not prevented, I compose until nine. I then go to my dear Constanze, though the joy of seeing one another is nearly always spoilt by her mother’s bitter remarks.

At half-past ten or eleven, I come home — it depends on her mother’s darts and my capacity to endure them! As I cannot rely on being able to compose in the evening owing to the concerts which are taking place and also to the uncertainty as to whether I may not be summoned now here and now there, it is my custom (especially if I get home early) to compose a little before going to bed. I often go on writing until one — and am up again at six.

– Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

“Altogether I have”: Mozart to his father, December 28, 1782.

So I’ve always been fascinated by stop motions…

There’s something about them.

I’d never shot or edited a stop motion before, but I had been watching a few on Instagram and Pinterest and I was feeling really inspired to try one myself.

This was around the time that the new iPhone X was being released.

I was one of the lucky ones who pre-ordered it.

I was going to get the iPhone X on the day of its release.

I had never seen a decent flatlay unboxing before and thought that being the first to do an iPhone X unboxing stop-motion was the perfect opportunity!

But I had never done a stop motion before.

I knew I needed to get the post up on release day. That was the opportunity.

It was a race against the clock.

I had to figure out a lot.

It turned out that a lot of what I had to do were things I didn’t prep for.

I did them on the spot and in the moment (thanks YouTube!).

I had to film the shot backwards.

Keep consistent lighting.

Learn how to edit it together and make a perfect loop in Final Cut.

It took me 4 hours to shoot and edit.

I was proud of it.

I had only been posting on Instagram for 8 weeks so I didn’t expect much of it.

I only had 3,000 followers.

Then, it went took off.

It hit 1,000 views, 5,000 views.

In the end, it hit over 22,000 views, which was insane for someone new to Instagram.

Not bad for a first attempt!

Darren is a content creator and photographer.

You can find more of his work on his Instagram: @mrdrowlands

‍