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.