clocking creativity

> At the end of each year, I send out a promotional gift. I've been asked how I figure out what to send. I guess I keep my eyes open all the time for things that inspire me, or that might trigger a great concept later on. Then I start like I do on any project: I determine what the message is, who the audience is, and what results I expect from the finished design. Then I start working, following my process, til along the way ideas resurface and creativity comes in (from its magical hiding place) to influence what I'm working on.

> Why am I talking holiday promotion now? Well, it's on my mind. When ideas come, they come. I keep track of them in a notebook to remind myself later, and sometimes they start to work on themselves in my head. Some designers claim to work better under pressure, but I don't mind starting the process a little early. Writer Penelope Trunk states, "...get out of your head that you work well under pressure. You don't. No one does. Not when you are promoting yourself. And it is a myth that creativity happens best under pressure." (http://blog.penelopetrunk.com)

> Don't misunderstand—I don't need a 6-month lead time on jobs. I'm a fast and efficient worker, and meeting deadlines is of utmost importance. But you can't force creativity. I take it whenever it comes—even if it starts working before I do.