The Creative Process of Karen Patel

Out lecture this week was concerned with managing creative teams.  Chris Bilton’s reading was particularly illuminating with regards to ‘creative brokering’ – stimulating communication between members, understanding their creative processes and using their personal traits to encourage a creative synergy between them.

Annette asked us to think about our own creative process, so here is mine:

Far from Emmanuel’s romantic envisioning of the writer in a cottage, I work best in my square room in a semi-detached student house in Perry Barr.  The absence of cavity wall insulation means I write and design under the comforting heat of a £15 halogen heater from One Stop Shopping Centre.

Many magazine designers use Apple Macs, but I am happy with my laptop.  When I am designing pages I have to listen to music, which I usually listen to through Spotify.  Favoured artists are of the easy-listening ilk, such as Erykah Badu, India.Arie, Dwele or if i’m in a more commercial mood, Mariah Carey (don’t laugh).  I rarely plan or sketch out pages; I first think of the colours I want to use, then the heading font (which takes a while), then the pictures, and finally the text.

When writing or reading, I can’t listen to music.  A few of my friends used to handwrite their assignments on paper, but I can’t do this either.  I tend to just type whatever comes into my head and then read over it afterwards, but I don’t proof-read too much because I’ll stop concentrating.

I take breaks regularly, and like to get away from my room when doing so.  Rather than step outside the cottage and sniff roses, I go into the out house downstairs.  The outhouse  is beautifully adorned with graffiti, permanent marker scrawlings and moss, with the odd slug for company if it is raining.  There is also a beautiful pool outside, which has been created by a blockage in the outdoor drain.  Such surroundings may not be thought of as a stimulus for creativity, but you would be surprised.

5 Responses to “The Creative Process of Karen Patel”

  1. Hai Nguyen says:

    I think environment and supporting things around us play important roles in our creativity. I am so packed in my 12 square meters (I guessed) room sometime too. It kills my creativity sometimes.

  2. Annette says:

    so that is mostly about the environment. What about the process? Can you analyse that? Is it possible to analyse it? Objectively?

  3. Zak Fisher says:

    wall insulation is really needed if you want to save on energy bills, wall insulations help save in heating cost.;~

  4. Elijah Lewis says:

    for wall insulation, i always use polyethylene foams and also polypropylene foams*.-

  5. our wall insulation uses glass fiber and epoxy composites plus spray insulations made out of polyethylene*,,

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