Creativity experts often tell people to “express yourself,” “imagine freely,” and “embrace mistakes.” But when creation is your profession, every project demands excellence. Especially when working with talented people like I do at Automattic. When quality is essential, such advice seems shallow and vague.
As a senior designer, I understand the emotional highs and lows that come with my work. The successes, the crushing setbacks, and the strange in-between moments. After experiencing this many times, I decided to track the process to navigate it more gracefully.
Honeymoon
Monday: I’m buzzing with ideas. I study requirements, browse inspiration, and test multiple forks. I expect this week to be different. Pure creative magic will strike, and fantastic results will sprout. By 6 PM, I have nothing but concern.
Fuss and Trouble
Tuesday: I push concepts from different angles, apply best practices, and things that worked out nicely before. Still nothing good, and I start to feel miserable.
Hitting Rock Bottom
Wednesday: Impostor syndrome hits hard. I feel a fraud, and everything seems terrible. Am I losing it? The day develops sluggishly with doubt and frustration. Then, in the final hours, something clicks. Thank goodness—a small breakthrough!
Discoveries and Flow
Thursday: The fourth morning brings unexpected calm. Ideas flow during the lull that follows the storm. Building on yesterday’s progress, I shape thoughts that came while running or hanging out with my wife. There’s a lot of productivity in the not-working moments, and I’ll have plenty of it until tomorrow.
Relief and Joy
Friday: I gather pieces, fix unexpected flaws, and prepare a presentation. Surprisingly, I made it through another week. A small but meaningful victory that adds purpose to the journey and lifts my spirits.
Creating good design is damn hard work. And next week will bring a new storm, I’m sure. But today, it’s Friday, and I’m in love with design again.
Credits: Photo by Matt Hardy on Unsplash
