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Hey Right Brained Human 👋🏼 !

Welcome to another week of Being Right Brained – Inspiration and ideas for designers and creative folks to work, think, and feel better. (In case you missed my last newsletter, see the full archive of past editions here)

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Can you believe it? 2023 is already waving goodbye! For someone like me, who is constantly juggling with time anxiety (the stress or worry over the passing of time and not being productive enough), that's a pretty big deal. So I figured, why not end the year by putting together the 9 most important things I've learned this year – It's a way of reminding myself (and my brain!) that NO, we didn't just let another year go by!

Phew okay! Here we go! 👇🏼

#1 Jonathan Mann's 70-20-10 rule is a simple yet powerful concept for creativity. It says that in all the work you do, 70% will be average, 10% will be outstanding, and 20% won't be great. Michael Jackson went through 800 songs to get the 9 that appeared on Thriller!
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Quantity produces quality – The problem is that we chase quality before we produce quantity and are too quickly disappointed.
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Remember, not everything you create will be perfect, you will make mistakes, and that's part of the creative process. That's part of the creative process. The idea is to keep going because the more you do, the more chances you have to create something really great.

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#2 I’m reading this book called 'Clear Thinking'. And I’m obsessed. I’ve learned something I think I was stuck in for a very long time - the “zone of average”. It’s a dangerous place where things are going so well that we don’t feel like we need to change anything and hope that things will magically improve

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#3 This year I've changed my approach to ideas. Instead of waiting for an idea to come to me, I now collect them – I've created an "idea bank" where I deposit my thoughts when they're plentiful. It's like managing your finances: If you have extra money, you save it for later. This process ensures I never run out of ideas

👉🏼 Pro Tip: To organize these ideas effectively, I use a simple method on a platform like Notion that is easily accessible to be across all my machines. I create a three-column system: the first column describes the idea in one sentence, the second column contains links or references to the idea, and the third column outlines the key message or intent behind the idea. This structured approach keeps my thoughts clear and easily accessible when needed.
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#4 We often rely on passion and inspiration to do most things in life. They're great for getting things going, but perseverance and routine give you the fuel you need to keep the passion alive and achieve your goals. 💡
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#5 I learnt about Ink Trap fonts. I love them so much. I kept seeing them everywhere and didn't know what they were called until I read this article by Fonts in Use.
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#6 I discovered the term "Creative Grief" – The empty feeling you get when you finish a big project. I've experienced this feeling countless times where you feel a bit helpless after completing a project that kept you focused for so many weeks and months. If you've ever felt the same way, you'll definitely be able to relate to this!​

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#7 I found an amazing resource for one of my mentees who is a self-taught designer passionate about Typography. It is a comprehensive knowledge bank created by Google which is not just an educational tool but also delves into type use and application. The best part? It's absolutely free.
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#8 In one of the emails I received, I read about the 4 Checks to "Validation".
Rather than validating an idea, you want to put an idea through 4 different validation checks. I've started using these for my personal work:

Here are they are in the most common order:

• Viability, a.k.a. "Should I do this?" - Validated by your personal goals or the value it brings.
• Feasibility, a.k.a. "Can I do this?" - Validated by your current capabilities or resource(time, money, and tools) availability.
• Potential, a.k.a. "Will this bring growth?" - Validated by the changes it may bring in terms of experience and skill?
• Usability, a.k.a. "Will people understand this?" - Validated by people who engage with your work, practicality, and effectiveness of your idea.

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#9 At one point in my career, I hit a plateau, feeling completely stuck, as if standing in an endless, flat landscape. Determined to break free from this stagnation, I devoted myself to self-improvement. All the content and resources I now produce stem from this core concept: to disrupt and move beyond that sense of inertia. And just yesterday, a quote from Adam Grant's "Hidden Potential" deeply resonated with me, reflecting this very ethos.​
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​"A rut is not a sign that you’ve tanked. A plateau is not a cue that you’ve peaked. They’re signals that it may be time to turn around and find a new route."

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​Over to you now! ✨
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Thanks for reading. This is an honest, algorithm-free, completely reader-supported publication. If you’d like to support my work, buy my e-book or tell me what you think about my content here.​
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⚡️ And, have a great New Year! ⚡️
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Apeksha
Right Brained Human

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