Productively Creative - part 2

"Where there is work, there is progress. And where there is progress, there is change." I thought to myself whilst staring at the oatmeal circling around in my microwave.

It's time to change my approach. I've learnt alot over the last few weeks about the effect that exhaustion, exercising, color, smell, cleanliness and positivity can have on creative thinking. A lot of it is based on small research I could find, and still very vague. None the less it offers insights and inspires me in my search for my optimal working environment.

In the second chapter I've been looking at various work schedules of famous creatives, such as Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo and Joan Miro. Followed up by questions I've sent to current creatives in the field of Comic Design. Specifically in my own little country: the Netherlands. The variation in working schedules is astonishing. Yet a pattern still seems to be emerging. Most of them find their most productive hours to be in the morning. Something I recognize very clearly. Some however, don't have much of a schedule at all and that works for them: the breaking of routines.

My initial idea for posters of every single schedule is waning. It needs to change. Who would hang a poster of somebody else's schedule on their wall once they've found their own? When I've found my schedule, wouldn't I prefer to have inspirational quotes on my wall? It's been a project that's been lingering in the back of my mind for two years now. I can design an image of the schedules of these people in the book, so it can always be looked up when there's interest, but the posters should be inspiring, not constraining. Especially since routines change alongside life. The posters should represent my discoveries, things that work. Inspirational quotes from inspiring people. Things that motivate, maybe like: "Your work is special, the world needs to see it!" inspired by Hanco Kolk. Or "Good work delivers a great mood," inspired by Abe Borst.

Maybe there could be a poster of an inspiring quote from every person in my book. That means the posters should be smaller, much smaller than the original 30x130cm, An important aspect to the size of the posters will be the size of the book too. The design of the posters should also somehow be related to the design of the book.

The book size has been something I found pretty hard to decide on. The first thought that came to mind was a book in the shape of a light bulb, but the entire book isn't just about ideas and it seems like an annoying shape of book to read. To be more specific, the book would deal with creative environment and habits that stimulate insight and creative routines. A square would work better, and it could give artworks both horizontal and vertical and equal amount of white space. It could be the roundness of a clock too, but I think a routine symbolizes discipline, which more so makes me think of a square.

For the cover I'd love to do a photo manipulation.
Clocks. Light bulbs. Clock hands. Brains. Idea coming out of a cuckoo clock?

...

To be continued!