From the first Friday in May to the last Friday in August, we enjoy what I can safely say is everyone’s favorite perk of working at Proof—“Summer Fridays” (read more about it in our Playbook). We focus and hustle during the week to ensure we’re making progress with projects so we can end the day after lunch and soak up the sun.
Although we (mostly) use our Summer Fridays to hang by the pool or binge watch our favorite show, this extra time spent outside of the office helps freshen our minds and provides an opportunity to gather creative inspiration.
No matter how many amazing projects we take on, it’s impossible to keep the creative juices flowing without taking time to rest, relax, and allow our minds to find inspiration in unlikely places. Enjoying the summertime sunshine on Fridays provides a useful opportunity to recharge our creative batteries and find inspiration that can only be discovered when we take a moment to look away from our computer screens.
We all know that great ideas can come happen when you least expect it—riding an elevator or taking a shower. Taking intentional time to get some fresh air or hang out with a new friend can make all the difference and help us be our most productive during the rest of the week. Here’s how we spend our Summer Fridays:
- Just Relax: We can’t always forget our deadlines and go the beach, but sometimes it can be important to hit the reset button on your creativity and give your brain a break. Although studies show that a certain amount of pressure can inspire creativity, we can easily burn out and hit creative walls if we’re not careful. Taking time to rest your brain helps to reduces stress levels so you can produce your best work.
- Get Outdoors: Good ideas often happen when we let our minds wander, and when you get outside and move your body you can stumble upon unexpected ideas. Exercising stimulates dopamine, which fires up brain activity. This makes a long bike ride or walk around the park the perfect time and place to brainstorm and helps us discover new ideas that are difficult to find when our brains are focused on what’s immediately in front of us during our regular 9-5 grind.
- Make a connection: In our day-to-day routines we can often get stuck in our comfort zones. While it’s easy to keep to ourselves when we’re immersed in a project or working hard to meet a deadline, making connections with others is important—especially if we’re in need of some fresh inspiration. Taking an afternoon to hang out with a friend or professional connection and learn from others can help spark new ideas in other aspects of our lives. Talking with creative peers can help give perspective to your experiences and lets you learn from theirs.
Summer Fridays have been a fantastic opportunity to check out the branding of a new local coffee shop, do yoga in the park, or even grab drinks with another creative in our community. So for the rest season, we’ll keep enjoying our extra time in the sun and using those experiences to boost our creativity and inspiration the rest of the week. Cheers!