All together now.
With most of us still working from home, we thought this week we'd focus on ways to stimulate creative culture, despite our distance. We hope this list inspires you to tap into your creative mindset, get new perspectives, and learn from others in the field before you.
Missed last week's list where we covered what's happening in design? No worries, just click here to get caught up.
Now let's see how we can cultivate a creative culture:
Books of the week
- Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon - Our friend and New York Times best-selling author, Austin Kleon, shares ten principles to help creatives find their spark when they lean on the inspiration in front of them. Steal Like an Artist will teach you how to embrace influence and create your own path from it.
- Creative Confidence by Tom and David Kelley - As the leading experts in design, innovation, and creativity, Tom and David Kelley share stories from their work at IDEO to help us tap into our creative potential, and own it.
Who to follow
African Design Matters (@africandesignmatters) highlights the work and ideas from Black, Indigenous, POC creatives, and creatives of African descent. Follow along for inspiration, insight, and introductions to emerging designers of diverse backgrounds.
Articles to read
- With remote work being the new norm, Andrea Diquez, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi in New York, says now is the time for agencies to look beyond location, and hire people from diverse backgrounds. This article from Digiday explores this 'opportune time' and how agencies can take a step in a new direction.
- Many of us identify ourselves as creatives, but what about those who consider themselves as otherwise? This article digs into the positive impacts creativity can have on the workplace, and how even the "non-creatives" can flex their right brain.
- Wondering what it takes to build a creative culture? In this article, Managing Director of agency Jung von Matt/SPORTS, Holger Hansen, shares the seven steps he and his team took to cultivate an open, creative, and innovative workplace.
Go off-screen
If you design and print t-shirts yourself (or just want to give it a try!), don't start without this DIY screen printing guide from Charli Marie. She'll walk you through each step of her cost-effective method so you can create high-quality t-shirts all on your own.
Apps to check out
- Curator lets you shares ideas visually so you can organize, collaborate, and present ideas with team members all on one platform. Check out the app and get started for free.
- Since we can't head back to the office just yet, collaborating on whiteboards has taken a pause, too. But with Miro's digital whiteboard, you and your team can get your ideas together again.
What to watch
- As the first African-American animator at Disney, Floyd Norman's made impressive strides in his career. Floyd Norman: An Animated Life, details the Disney Legend's journey and how he continues to stir up his own brand of "trouble." Watch the documentary here.
- Netflix's Abstract is one of our go-to shows for good reason: it's all about design. And in the second season, we meet six more influential designers changing the landscape of art, product design, typography, and more. Binge the entire season here.
Listen while you work
Podcasts
- Tony Fadell, sometimes known as "the father of the iPod," sits down with Tim Ferriss for a deep conversation on the importance of staying curious. He shares stories from his days at Apple, and where he's letting his curiosity lead him next. Listen to the episode here.
- Change often takes time to get comfortable with. But what about organizational change? Bob Sutton, author of Scaling Up Excellence: Getting More Without Settling for Less, says it goes fast and slow. Learn more in this episode of IDEO U's Creative Confidence podcast.
Music
- Listen to The Futur's Finds playlist on Spotify! This week, we've picked specific tracks to inspire you and your team to come together (and jam together, too).
And finally, a quote to keep in mind throughout the week
“A hallmark of a healthy creative culture is that its people feel free to share ideas, opinions, and criticisms.” — Ed Catmull