Some of my best ideas come about when I am not sitting down trying to come up with an idea. I have never really sat down to think of a design; I usually feel it in a brief moment of clarity. That may sound a bit cliché or airy but it’s true, at least for me anyway. Whenever I get mired down in the problems of life, I am not seeing the solution. When I take a step back, get some space and clear my head, I see the solution. I see the idea, and sometimes it is so simple that I think to myself, "Why didn’t I think of that before?"
You see it with writers who rent cabins in the woods to write their next masterpiece or head out to the countryside for some inspiration and to get away from it all. I myself do not go to these great lengths to achieve this, but I have my ways that work for me. If I get really upset about something going wrong, rather than try to solve it while I am upset, I take a step back, go for a drive, grab a coffee and then come up with the solution in a saner state of mind. Another thing that works for me is going for a quick run up the mountains in and around LA and even getting a fresh haircut. I don’t know what it is about these, but I feel ten feet taller and bulletproof. And instead of acting out of fear or upset, I act with confidence and clarity. As I look back over my time as a designer, I have found that a quick run in nature 20-30 mins extroverts my introverted attention enough to percolate new ideas. Almost always to the point that I don’t know why I don’t do it more regularly because it is a valuable thing that works for me and probably for most people. The added benefit of it is you also get in shape, get some vitamin D and get some much needed space above the hustle and chaos of life, and it doesn’t cost you a dime.
My purpose in life is to make people look good, because my philosophy is look good, feel good, play good. Now, you probably look at that and think that applies to an athlete. In most cases, it does, but in my view, life is a game and I believe that looking good makes you feel good and feeling good helps you to play the game better. Another thing I enjoy to de-stress is taking a bath. I do recall watching a Tom Ford documentary that mentioned he takes 3-5 baths a day or something like that. This may be pretty extreme to some, but that works for him. And what works for someone should be kept in, and finding that for yourself is invaluable. I hope this helps one find what works for them, and while reading this, you probably have thought of a few ideas for yourself.
