Voice_Issue

Welcome to the first edition of Voice
for 2007.

We kick-started the year by using our holiday refreshed eyes and minds to review our values. The rails that guide Active Voice remain fundamentally the same but we’ve added a new value of ‘generosity supported by abundance’. This year we’re going to play a more active role in our local community and this new value is the key to that and living all of our other values fully. We’ve added the new value to our website and you can read more about it here.

Our first active community event is Business Clean Up Australia Day on Tuesday 27 February. We’re coordinating a clean up site at Botany Bay. As you can see by the photo below, we need all the help we can get. Join us if you can. You’ll find all the details here.

This edition of Voice embraces a theme of creativity – how we can plan for it, support it and learn from others.

We hope it stirs your heart and mind.

Processing creativity

It might seem counterintuitive to plan for creativity but in our experience that’s exactly what it needs. Igniting the creative spark in response to a specific brief or project is so much easier if we have an ongoing support structure in place that nurtures our body, mind, heart and soul.

The trellises of this support system are different for each of us. At Active Voice we are on a bit of an archaeological excavation to understand what works best – for ourselves and the team as a whole. We each take responsibility for understanding and nurturing ourselves but the business also has a responsibility for providing different means of support.

This means that I do lots of things that I feel keep me on track:
> I’m on the constant look out for things that delight me visually - a combination of nature, art and the work of other designers from various disciplines.
> I make sure I can see things that delight me when I’m sitting at my desk.
> I try to remember to use any small opportunity to seek inspiration or delight. The key to this for me is being present in the moment.
> I like to think of my work as connecting people – to information, to ideas, to action. To make that connection I am always on the look out for information about how people interpret symbols, shapes and colours. I also need to feel connected myself – connected to my local community, my friends and family, and other creative people.
> Quiet time alone is also important.
> There’s something about making things with my hands that just makes me feel as though I am creative.
> I need to take care of physical, emotional and spiritual health– this comes down to doing some really basic stuff like getting enough sleep, eating well, spending time with people I love, and exercising.

Then the job specific process is pretty straightforward and, within our small team, quite similar:
1. Time to ferment - at least one sleep between briefing and starting to play with ideas. Our sleeping brains are very productive.
2. Think about messages and meanings. Consider what we want to say and how can this be translated into shapes, colours, text, photos, illustrations
3. Time to play with ideas - on paper and on screen
4. Bringing ideas to some sort of collaborative process - whether that’s brainstorming or just feedback.
5. Time to step back and consider.
Active Voice supports this process by recognising that it is important, factoring time into the production process and giving it time outside the scope of projects. When there are tight deadlines and lots of work on, this can be challenging and we don’t do it perfectly. But having your personal structure in place means imperfect project plans have less impact on inspiration.
What’s your creative process? We’d love to hear what works and doesn’t work for you. Drop Elaena a line.

Lessons from the Lost and Found Orchestra

One of the ways we regularly squeeze our creative juices is to get out of the office and experience the creative output (sometimes outpouring) of others. We take ourselves to exhibitions, libraries, galleries, lectures and all sorts of adventures to inspire us. In our experience, every creative endeavour has a lesson or two (or more) to share.

Last month we saw the extraordinary Lost and Found Orchestra. The orchestra uses ‘found’ items to create instruments – imagine a horn section playing traffic cones, or huge xylophones incorporating water cooler bottles. The music is heart-racing, exciting stuff interwoven with storytelling and whimsy.

The lessons we took away from the performance were about passion, energy and enthusiasm.
1. Enthusiasm and energy are completely contagious.
2. The people around you can really tell if you’re having fun and joy is catching.
3. Bold and gutsy and real is hair raisingly exciting.
4. Embrace ‘mistakes’, they can also be beautiful.
5. Allowing team members to be themselves and express their individuality creates a richer experience for everyone. Striving towards a goal together with passion and glee shouts ‘unity’ louder than corporate uniforms.