Category Archives: Design

My Top 3 Creative Re-Reads of 2013

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By Rebecca Cochran

Blue pencil and red lineLike you, I did a lot of reading this year. Contrary to what I might have predicted, the internet has played a major role in keeping my bookshelf full of interesting books – physical books I actually read – and re-read. For me, one of the marks of a good book is that I want to re-read it, sometimes again and again. It was tough to whittle down the list, but here are my top 3 creative re-reads of 2013.

Creative Confidence by Tom and David Kelley

Just published in October, Creative Confidence sets out to “unleash the creative potential within us all.” This highly personal book does just that. The chapter entitled “Spark” particularly resonates with me. The Kelley brothers write about the importance of building a creative support network, since many of the best ideas are a result of collaborating with others. They also advocate cultivating creative serendipity, i.e., getting out into the world to gain empathy with our customers. In the chapter entitled “Leap,” the Kelleys describe the all-important phase of moving from planning to action. They include “action catalysts” and other useful tools, encouraging us to conduct small experiments to let an idea evolve. Some of the craziest ideas can lead to a valuable solution. This book is for all of us. I am reading it again already.

It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be. by Paul Arden

I read this book at least once a year. Originally published in 2003, it has been reprinted many times since. The book is about making the most of yourself and making the impossible possible. A former ad man, Arden uses the creative processes of good advertising as a metaphor for business practice. The book is chock full of memorable quotes. One of my favorites is “You don’t have to be creative to be creative.”

Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson

A new friend handed me the 50th anniversary edition of this well-known children’s book last month. Originally published in 1955, I cannot fathom how many times I read and re-read this book as a kid. This classic is worth re-reading as adults, too. In his minimalist way, Harold has reminded me to stay curious. I plan to keep his little book handy and re-read it whenever I need a creative boost.

What are you re-reading?

How Full is Your Creative Funnel?

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Funnel (PSF)

by Rebecca Cochran

As a designer and creative thinker, I’ve learned the importance of what I call “filling my creative funnel.” It’s not always an easy thing to do.

I’ve realized that I function best, in my work and in my personal life, when I allow myself to regularly experience bursts of art, music and other thought-provoking events. When my body and mind become depleted, I can usually attribute that lackluster feeling to a near-empty creative funnel.

It’s not always easy to spot this depletion as it’s happening. The process is gradual. Amidst the workday routine and the rigors of running a business, the emptying funnel often sneaks up on me. With experience, however, I’m learning to seize meaningful opportunities to recharge that funnel.

Being a musician as well as a designer, I’ve learned to troll the key online portals to keep abreast of music and performers of interest to me. I also use Twitter to stay current on who is performing where. And, I follow my favorite museums to learn about special exhibitions and other events. I also allow for serendipity to play a part.

The late summer cultural desert is usually tough for me to get through. After the excitement of early to mid-summer music festivals, by late summer my funnel is running on empty. Once the fall performance season finally gets fully underway, I’m typically deluged with opportunities for a cultural and creative recharge.

Take, for example, the last ten days. It began with a Hindemith Lives! celebration at UNC School of the Arts to commemorate 50 years since composer Paul Hindemith’s passing. The UNCSA faculty presented an entire evening of seldom heard chamber works by Hindemith, the majority of which I was unfamiliar. It provided a welcome burst of creative insight.

A few days later, I was at UNC-Chapel Hill enjoying pianist András Schiff’s performance of the Bach Goldberg Variations (along with Beethoven as an encore). The next evening, I was on the edge of my seat taking in Opera Carolina’s performance of Verdi’s Aida.

Wedged in between these music performances, I attended two events sponsored by my local AIGA chapter, as part of Triad Design Week. The first was a screening of the Design & Thinking documentary. (In fact, I was invited to deliver the opening remarks.) The second was a keynote by Doug Powell, designer and studio lead of the new IBMDesign group out of Austin. He delivered an excellent talk on Enhancing Brands with Design.

As Monday morning has rolled around, my creative funnel is full again. I can’t predict when these creative bursts will happen for me, but I have learned to seize them when they present themselves. I’m much more centered, creative and focused when my creative funnel is stoked. I also have fresh stories to share, more opportunities to connect more dots and, best of all, a big smile on my face.

What are your experiences? How do you keep your creative juices flowing?

Details

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the Steves

the Steves (Photo credit: blakespot)

by Rebecca Cochran

I saw the new Jobs biopic over the weekend. Whether it was an accurate portrayal of Steve Jobs and the early days of Apple Computer or not, I have to say, I enjoyed it.

Rather than merely taking in the story itself, I challenged myself to notice the details. Surely an important detail was the eye-catchingly simple, yet creative, typeface treatment used in the film titles. Film title design is an art unto itself and Jobs did not fall short here. I’d like to view those titles again.

Another detail that was impossible to ignore was the soundtrack. As a musician myself, music tends to play a major role in any film I view. The Steves spar once or twice in the film about their own personal music preferences. Jobs was a Dylan fan; Woz favored the Beatles.

What stood out for me, though, was the inclusion of Bach in the soundtrack, specifically, the final allegro movement from Bach’s 3rd Brandenburg Concerto. The movement was used as an effective aural backdrop to depict Steve’s enlightenment period after he had dropped out of Reed College.

I felt that the film did a good job of depicting how Steve and one of his college friends had taken some time away to visit India in search of spiritual (and other) enlightenment. These scenes were fast-paced and even a bit hazy. The Bach was performed at a breakneck tempo. It might as well have been notated vivace.

And, it worked for me. Knowing that Bach’s six Brandenburg Concerti were composed in what was probably the happiest and most productive period in Bach’s life, around 1721, I naturally assumed that those months in India represented some of Steve Jobs’ happiest and most productive moments as well.

What details did you notice in the film?