DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CREATIVE IN CAPTIVITY | Blog

Clive our Creative Director shares his typical day in lock down:

6:00am - Awoken to Rosie knocking on the bedroom door demanding her breakfast and a walk.

7:00am - I actually get up to give Rosie her breakfast and have a shower ahead of my one hour out of the house.

7:30am - My walk with Rosie gives some silence to drum out ideas for my day of work ahead and time to prioritise the projects I need to focus on. There is some amazing wildlife and views to gaze over whilst I contemplate my day, and life I guess.

 

8:30am – Return from walk and with minimal traffic in the kitchen, I manage to get to my desk early to begin my day.

10:00am - Log in to Zoom for our virtual team meeting, to review projects but also check in on the well being of the team during this strange period of time. As the only man in the virtual office, I hope to bring some comedic value but who knows...

 

11:00am - Hooray for VPN - I can access my much needed remote resources from our company server - ensuring I can get on with my colouring in.

12:45pm - Quick break for lunch. This can go either way depending on what my niece has baked. 

1:30pm - Helping my 89 year old father get his daily exercise in the garden whilst explaining for the 14th time today what it is I 'do'.

1.45pm - Time to buckle down and get on with it.

2.00pm - Have a fleeting thought that lockdown isn't that different to when I was a freelancer... a little more bizarre perhaps!

2.15pm - Have a chat with Steph, Kate, Ali or Harriet and hash out some creative strategy for a client problem we aim to solve by the end of the day.

4.00pm - Quick cuppa and the scheduled 4:00pm meeting with my father to touch on what I 'do' for the 15th time today.

4.15pm - Depart from the kitchen and my dad and begin the long commute back to my desk.

4.16pm - Arrive at desk and the days work.

6.00pm - Works out! Arrive very quickly into the kitchen to discuss dinner options and what I do, again, with my father.

6:10pm - We decide upon a Guosto recipe. These food and recipe delivery boxes have been a life saver when trying to work all day and look after my dad. The food is inventive and they come in well-designed boxes which obviously gives a thumbs up from me.

7:00pm - Dinner! I have found my day's structure has become synonymous with when we eat (my 89 year old father does seem to be driving this). This is quite different as usually, when you're in the thick of designing something, everything else is on hold - even food. As the team knows, this can cause a lot of 'hanger' from my desk although it does seem to get the job done.

7.45pm - Do a final check of my emails and update my project that I have mulled over, over dinner.

8:30pm - Myself and “the boss” Nic relax in front of the TV with wine before heading off to bed, before another day of well, much the same.

This lockdown period is an extraordinarily difficult period for everyone and we cannot be sure of the longevity and size of the impact it is going to have. But, it is amazing how the little things around you can really help to keep a sense of normal during this abnormal time. I have also found some solace in having to stimulate my creative mind in a different way by drawing from the natural environment I now have more time to appreciate. I am so thankful for the immediate team around me, our suppliers and customers who have shown resilience and support to us all! 

Clive Miller, Creative Director