SCABs

Sunday Summary SCAB – By @SCA2Dean

Marc Lewis

By Marc Lewis

Sunday Summary SCAB

12th February 2017

 

Before I talk about how I am feeling this week, I have a small confession to make about these Sunday Reflection posts.

 

Though I try to post at about the same time each week, the truth is that I write most of this on Thursday. I will try to show it to Rachel early on Saturday morning, in case there are any errors. Then, I will get it up online and schedule Facebook to post it Sunday morning.

 

I might still be in bed when you are reading this. Unlikely, with a young family, but there is hope for us all.

 

My reason for sharing this, is that it feels appropriate for how I feel about a few bad habits studio at the moment.

 

To provide context for non-students reading this, Fat Penguin handed in their penultimate ‘portfolio brief’ before we turn our attention to D&AD. So it is important that we reflect and debug as quickly as possible.

 

Incidentally –  it is as important that we use these fleeting moments between deadlines to recharge and collect dots. Or work on a passion project, so as to reconnect with the true creative inside you.

 

Isn’t it ironic how busy we all are, even in our spare time?

 

I digress.

 

I caveat what follows with that I haven’t looked at the work yet. Your work might be brilliant, but I doubt it.

 

I know exactly where I will be when this is being posted, at 9.15 AM on Sunday morning.  Rachel will be taking the girls to church, which means I can watch MOTD in bed. I’m predicting that Arsenal win 3-1, and that Ozil is involved in two of the goals.

 

Of course, you can’t predict the future. You can only help to shape it.

 

I shared a slide at Friday Reflection a few weeks ago with the serenity prayer.

 

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change; courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

 

We can’t control time, but we can manage it, when we break it down, into chunks.

 

This week, I got the sense that the attention in the room was almost entirely focused on the brief that was due in on Friday.  Very little energy was directed towards the final portfolio brief before New Blood.

 

We know that we perform better when we switch between tasks and projects every so often. Not multi-tasking, but switching up projects that are at different stages of the process every 45 – 90 minutes. Ignore this only when you are in the zone, or have a critical deadline.

 

When I give you a deadline of 4 PM on a Friday, the least creative decision that can be made is to shoot for having the work ready then.  Why not aim to finish by 7 PM on Thursday and challenge yourself do to something better on Friday?  Or midday on Friday so that you can go to the cinema after lunch?

 

I am writing this on Friday evening and I discovered today that Sam’s computer crashed last night, losing all his work. The look on his face told me that he would do anything to go back in time and back-up his work, and almost anything for an extra couple of days’ extension.

 

I am very interested to see who this year’s fast learners are.  Who will be ready to start working with Ian first thing on Tuesday?

 

Who will use the time to start researching D&AD, testing first ideas on the mentors, knowing that it is half term soon and that most of us will be switching Slack off for a bit.

 

It’s mostly the hungry learners who will be our fastest learners and our highest achievers.

 

Hungry people often nudge their way to the front of the queue at a buffet, have more on their plate, eat more.

 

Don’t work to the deadline.  Smash the deadline, and then start again.

 

Get ahead of the curve as quick as you can.

 

Whilst having fun.

 

See you Monday,

 

marc

 

15 01 17 

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29 01 17

05 02 17

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