Google founders introduced the idea of 20% time to the world in their iPO. The phrasing of it was, “Google encourages it’s employees to spend 20% of their time, working on what they think would most benefit Google”.
Let’s Discuss
Instead of 20% time, let’s call in creative time, the topic of discussion this week is, how much creative time is ideal, and how would you spend it?
Here’s the format;
Introduce yourself as if we don’t know you (someone will be reading for the first time)
Answer: How much of the week do you think you should be spent on creative time?
I am a strong believer in taking that 'down time' each day, and feel it's even more important since making my hobby - illustration - my career. Working as an illustrator is still 'work', there's deadlines, there's compromises and of course there's the jobs that pay the bills that won't be making it to my portfolio. But illustration is still my hobby and I still spend my free time drawing on my own stuff and developing my own ideas. It keeps that spark and love of illustration alive and keeps me wanting to improve and grow as an artist.
I work as an art teacher at both secondary (11-18) and degree level as well as an educational consultant for a private company. I have always loved helping people relaise their dreams, and help them on the eway to what they want to achieve but I dot not think I was putting enough time into what 'I' wanted to do for me. So two years ago I purchased myself an ipad and I have never looked back! I would say that I am still looking to support people and this is a side of me that I want to incorporate into my illustration work and so have taken a position as an illustrator to produce a book that introduces children's and their families to mental health and emotional fitness.
I spend at least an hour a night going something for me.. but that also tends to be developing ideas around a concept as I am not as fast as I need to be! I am making in my day jobs all day so i could be doing ceramics for 2 hours, followed by screen printing!
As Jennifer said, I think a small amount of time should be spent on creative time every day. To manage deadlines and clients, people with creative jobs will eventually develop methods and shortcuts to deliver quality projects in a short amount of time (Short deadlines are often our reality, aren't they?). Even if you constantly push yourself, it's important to keep real creative breaks, those when we can just be and explore.
With the help of an alarm, I'm the first to wake up each morning (I have 2 kids, 6 and 8 yrs). After my morning routine (lunchboxes), I spend 20 minutes at the kitchen table where I just write down ideas or sketch (and drink my morning coffee). It can be anything. I just go with the flow. Once, I even came out of this 20 minutes with an all-written story. I usually take an hour or so in the evening to sketch loosely in a sketchbook. Without any consideration in improving anything. Just to mess around.
“How could I spend X% of my time in ways that would most benefit me?
Hi I’m Adam, I’m an illustrator and I write this newsletter.
I think a day a week, 20% of the time with no agenda could be hugely beneficial and even productive! I mean my illustration career emerged out of my 20% time, and so I think it would make sense to continue it.
I will probably make a list of a hundred things or more that I could do with that time, then I would prioritize them, and work on the top priorities. I would include some more ambitions projects which I may never complete, as well as a lot of little tasks, like update my portfolio, try some new digital brushes, update my LinkedIn profile, do a DTIYS, organize my folders on my computer.
But it would all build into my goals, they would all be things that move my goals forward.
Hello! I am Jen Jamieson (Find me here https://www.instagram.com/jen_jamieson/)
I am a strong believer in taking that 'down time' each day, and feel it's even more important since making my hobby - illustration - my career. Working as an illustrator is still 'work', there's deadlines, there's compromises and of course there's the jobs that pay the bills that won't be making it to my portfolio. But illustration is still my hobby and I still spend my free time drawing on my own stuff and developing my own ideas. It keeps that spark and love of illustration alive and keeps me wanting to improve and grow as an artist.
Hi all! Im Kim (Kimberley) Adams and I live here www.instagram.com/kimberleyadamscreates or here www.kimberleyadams.co.uk.
I work as an art teacher at both secondary (11-18) and degree level as well as an educational consultant for a private company. I have always loved helping people relaise their dreams, and help them on the eway to what they want to achieve but I dot not think I was putting enough time into what 'I' wanted to do for me. So two years ago I purchased myself an ipad and I have never looked back! I would say that I am still looking to support people and this is a side of me that I want to incorporate into my illustration work and so have taken a position as an illustrator to produce a book that introduces children's and their families to mental health and emotional fitness.
I spend at least an hour a night going something for me.. but that also tends to be developing ideas around a concept as I am not as fast as I need to be! I am making in my day jobs all day so i could be doing ceramics for 2 hours, followed by screen printing!
Hi! My name is Sophie Benmouyal. A freelance illustrator from Montreal, Canada. (You can find me here: https://www.instagram.com/sophiebenmouyal
As Jennifer said, I think a small amount of time should be spent on creative time every day. To manage deadlines and clients, people with creative jobs will eventually develop methods and shortcuts to deliver quality projects in a short amount of time (Short deadlines are often our reality, aren't they?). Even if you constantly push yourself, it's important to keep real creative breaks, those when we can just be and explore.
With the help of an alarm, I'm the first to wake up each morning (I have 2 kids, 6 and 8 yrs). After my morning routine (lunchboxes), I spend 20 minutes at the kitchen table where I just write down ideas or sketch (and drink my morning coffee). It can be anything. I just go with the flow. Once, I even came out of this 20 minutes with an all-written story. I usually take an hour or so in the evening to sketch loosely in a sketchbook. Without any consideration in improving anything. Just to mess around.
“How could I spend X% of my time in ways that would most benefit me?
Hi I’m Adam, I’m an illustrator and I write this newsletter.
I think a day a week, 20% of the time with no agenda could be hugely beneficial and even productive! I mean my illustration career emerged out of my 20% time, and so I think it would make sense to continue it.
I will probably make a list of a hundred things or more that I could do with that time, then I would prioritize them, and work on the top priorities. I would include some more ambitions projects which I may never complete, as well as a lot of little tasks, like update my portfolio, try some new digital brushes, update my LinkedIn profile, do a DTIYS, organize my folders on my computer.
But it would all build into my goals, they would all be things that move my goals forward.