That’s it. I give up. Is it 4:00 p.m. yet?

Nah Broseph/Brolita, it’s only 11:00 in the A.M.!

A simple conversation that happens daily. It may be with a coworker, or it may exist completely in my head. Can you blame me? As a graphic designer my mental endurance is always being put to the test. At ST8MNT,  I have the privilege, nay, the honor of working with exceptionally respected creative minds. Needless to say, when 4:00 p.m. comes around, I am ready for that drink. Oh wait, was I not clear? I only meant to insinuate that 4:00 p.m. is my ” it’s 5 o’clock somewhere.”

My initial urgency for something mind altering made me second guess my fix for this temporary mental distress. Now as a professional in my field, I mustn’t be incognizant of other faults my creative mind resolves to. Thus, I am obligated to shed light on these vices and get to the bottom of my 4:00 p.m. longing.

VICE ONE: Night Owl

Maybe it is the repeated cups of coffee with all the Star-Wars themed creamer, but when there are deadlines in mind, a ticking clock is the worst enemy. Over-evaluating the difference between two shades of purple swatches can unfortunately destroy the daily agenda. These tedious and sometimes witless decisions call for that ever so reliable cup (or pot) of coffee! Leave out the winning illustrative creamer for a minute. Coffee that is as black as my soul widens the eyes. Ergo, I can now fully accept that I am probably screwed. I stay up late once again to redefine my concept on which purple represents the highest of royalties just to reach a procrastinated deadline. Experience has taught me a tired mind isn’t always an inspired mind.

VICE TWO: Desk Bum

Doesn’t that ergonomic chair perfectly calibrate to the natural contours of the body? I’m not quite fully awake from the morning, and now I find my self eating lunch at my desk. The afternoon food baby now needs a nap. Being locked in and focused is important for any designer, but don’t hoard all the crunch bars from the snack room to save five minutes. Smart objects aren’t the only thing that need moved around. Get out of that weird chair that has more curves than your estranged aunt, and take a walk. Nothing keeps my mind more refreshed than soaking in a few rays from that Tennessee southern sun and a little exercise.

VICE THREE: The Latest and Greatest

Rack it up on the company card. Adobe has just announced brand new software that any top design professional can’t live without.  Stay ahead of the curve with some incredible machine that I know will take my terrible designs and automatically enhance them with three easy clicks. There are always a lot of alternatives than these high-priced commercialized products. Do a little research and there is a surprising number of free trials or free versions for students or new users.

VICE FOUR: Design Inspiration Overload

There are tons of design inspired websites to sort through. Starting off a project may require a little bit a visual research. Don’t get caught staring at a crazy mind blowing design that probably only exists in a 400 pixel square container on some dude’s design blog. All the stunningly beautiful designs may be great to look at, but it can lead to a great mess of clicks on clicks on clicks. In addition to all the amazing 3D rendered type design, look up a few things that aren’t exactly posted on the hottest designer blog. I find that my co-workers are just as good as anything found out in the WWW. Fortunately, we are all pretty friendly and love explaining how awesome our work is. I also find inspiration outside. Maybe its the aspiring lumberjack inside me, but the line work of nature and the man-made can be quite intriguing.

VICE FIVE: The Bottle

Finally! The work day is approaching closing time and the clock is about to strike 4:00 p.m. Loosening up a little from a hectic day can really get mind rolling again. It’s now 4 o’clock, I open the fridge, but my unrelenting creative mind judges each bottle by its cover. I need some liquid courage to finish my web design by 5 o’clock and I am locked up by shiny labels. Getting topped off with a little help from the good people at Yazoo is a favorite past time, but my fine friends down in Mexico know how to brew the tastiest of beers. A Corona and lime will be my afternoon drink of choice. I think I took that from Vin Diesel, but then again, he is a man of stature. Cheers!