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Pursuing a healthy work-life balance - #MemberSpotlight

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Being a creative professional isn't a job – it's a life commitment. We think creative, work creative, dream creative and sometimes even entertain us with creative hobbies. It's like a curse, but one we're much happy to have.

Yet when Designer & Art Director Bob Lynch pointed out below that creative work doesn't stop at the conventional 7/8 hours a day, somehow it felt like a revelation. Perhaps we really do need a 4-days working week in the industry. Perhaps creative work is so mind-consuming that it makes sense we find a different balance. If that leads to freelancers and creatives producing some incredibly amazing work like the one you see below, then so be it.

For this Member Spotlight, we are learning more about Bob and his amazing style of design, from his creative process down to his many sources of inspiration.

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How did you get into the industry?

Hard work, persistence, and determination.

Where are you based now and who do you work for?

I live and work from a sleepy village in Nottinghamshire as a Designer and Art Director for the creative agency Storycatchers.

If you weren’t in your current industry, what would you be doing?

Anything to do with trees.

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Can you explain your creative process?

At Storycatchers we have a 6 stage process: Discover, Define, Direct, Design, Develop and Deliver. I’ve never heard the creative process summarised by a company or individual more succinctly than that.

How would you describe your style?

Adaptive, logical and whimsical.

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Which individuals do you gain inspiration from? Do you have any heroes in the industry?

When I was a child I was obsessed with colour, lines, grids and patterns, and I remember one school trip in particular to the Tate Modern where I was utterly mesmerized by the work of Bridget Riley. David Hockney is also someone I’ve made a lot of references to for his spectacular use of form and colour, and I share his passion for photography aswell. Jean-Michel Basquiat is an artist whose work will never fail to inspire me. Whilst at University I was in awe of Thomas Heatherwick and his ability to solve actual world problems, project after project. But in truth I had neither the engineering skills nor the patience to pursue a career in industrial design. I’ve always enjoyed the immediacy and speed of visual communications, so that’s probably why I am where I am today.

If you had to pick one ideal client/employer, who would that be and why?

I’d mop floors for Basquiat, Riley or Hockney. An hour in any of their studios would provide enough inspiration for a lifetime.

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How has technology affected the way you work?

Nothing will replace a pencil and paper for the initial scribbling and mapping done in the early stages of a project. But from that point forward it’s completely dominated by technology. Cameras. Macs. Softwares. Emails. Apps. Phones. Whether it’s a print project or digital project or both, the work will always be presented, developed and delivered with tech. The idea of being a designer in an age pre computers is romantic, but using today’s technology and being able to see something come to life sometimes just minutes after an initial briefing or discussion never fails to satisfy.

What’s your secret to staying inspired and motivated?

The next project.

What’s the work achievement you’re most proud of?

The last project.

How do you recharge away from the office?

*Cliché alert* Being outdoors in nature.

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What is one tip for other aspiring creatives looking for work?

Keep going.

What is the one thing that you would change about the industry?

Mandatory 4 day (27 hours) working week. Creatives are still thinking about work when we’re not at work, so closing that gap between time at work and time at home would be invaluable for many reasons. Countries like Norway, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark do so and are amongst the most productive in the world.

Any websites, books or resources you would recommend?

Websites: Google. YouTube. Instagram. LinkedIn. Dribble. Creative Review. It’s Nice That. Design Week. Designspiration. Did I say Google?

Books: The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin

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