The late summer months—as we experience them in the Northern Hemisphere at the moment—are a time of abundance and fruition. In nature, it’s when everything is ripe and ready to eat, and long days invite us to spend time outdoors and be open to experiences. In our personal lives it could mean lots of plans, socializing, and plenty of events. In our creative practice, that might manifest as an influx of opportunities and projects, all happening simultaneously. 

This all sounds great, doesn’t it? But there is a potential downside to all of this goodness - overload. That feeling when you have just too much on your plate, to a point where you feel nearly paralyzed by the circumstances and unable to deliver, let alone get creative. 

Monkey mind

Some people are great at multitasking. Their mind and way of working seems to lend itself naturally to jumping from one task to another, never losing sight of what needs to be done. But for others—many of them creatives—the opposite is true. Getting pulled across several different projects creates a stressful environment and their productivity takes a hit. 

This is only natural and often referred to as ‘monkey mind’ - the state in which our thoughts bounce from one topic to another in what feels like an involuntary process, like a monkey swiftly jumping from one tree branch to another. This happens all day, every day, and most of us are equipped to deal with it and harness the monkey most of the time. But when you add to the mix an actual influx of work load and multiple projects—or extra tree branches if you will—the situation can get too hectic. 

Finding stability within the chaos 

Few people today have the luxury of working on a single project at a time; most of us are juggling the demands of much more than that. No matter your position - a self-employed freelancer, a manager, or working within a team - you’re gonna be faced with handling a few projects simultaneously. 

This little chaos we all live in is the perfect starting point for our monthly theme, as we explore the idea of Creative Stability. In this article we’ll take the opportunity to look into the ways in which we can ease ourselves in these times of overload, and find stability and steadiness within the mess and pressure of everyday creative life, leading us to more balance. Here are 5 tips for handling the busy times and overloaded schedule: 

1/ Embrace the diversity 

The switching of attention between tasks takes time and therefore takes a toll on your focus and energy. If you’re also dealing with different teams for each project, that means jumping between relationships, routines, expectations, and different cultures. 

In order for these processes to work for us, rather than deplete us, try and appreciate the busyness and embrace the diversity that comes with it. Use the energy that’s required of you in a playful way, and utilize it. For example, if you’re working on a project that involves designing for a physical space, think about ways in which you can use insights to inspire another web design project. If you’re working with someone who’s a brilliant communicator in one team, maybe pick up a trick or two and implement that in your work with other teams. Those little cross-pollination lessons are precious, so pay attention and use them wisely. 

2 / Stagger projects correctly

Each creative project we embark on, as different as it may be, has quite a distinct process in which it unfolds. The 4 Stages of the Creative Cycle theory is considered fundamental in the field of creativity research, dissecting and highlighting the phases we go through as we create: preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification.  

By tapping into these stages and identifying where we are within each project we are engaging with, we can stagger our work in the most optimal way - both for us and for the people we work with. 

Each stage of the creative process demands different abilities and qualities from us. Some stages are more internal and experiential, while others are more analytical or external. If we plan accordingly, we can avoid being in the same stage simultaneously for multiple projects, therefore maintaining balance in our resources.  

3 / Plan, plan, plan

Have you ever heard the saying “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail”? Well, in case you haven’t - here it is! And it couldn’t be more relevant than when approaching project planning. This might not sound like the most original advice, but in practice, how many of us actually follow through? Creative people especially hate to plan because it feels like you're sucking out all the fun and spontaneity of this magical process. But on the other hand - where's the fun in getting stressed later in the process when you're scrambling around trying to do too much in too little time? 

It might seem counterintuitive, but meticulous planning actually allows you to be flexible. Try to reverse engineer each project you’re working on from its final deliverables to where you are at the moment. Include important milestones such as check in points, breaks, inspiration and research time, and deliverables key dates, and add those along with dedicated work time to your calendar. If you’re used to working with project management tools and apps such as Trello, Asana, Motion or Monday - get used to incorporating those to your daily habits of work. And if you’re more of an analog type, then to-do lists are your best friend. 

4 / Set your boundaries 

We all know boundaries are important, yet we all seem to throw them out the window once a little bit of stress enters our life. It’s so easy to fall into the illusion of working hard and productivity being measured by hours spent in front of your computer. But remember - taking care of yourself and prioritizing rest is inseparable from your creative practice, therefore you must maintain your boundaries - set them and actually follow them. 

Take care of yourself: create breathing room in your calendar, schedule down time, and in that free time make sure to do things that feed your soul rather than doom scrolling on your phone. Make sure you are being nourished and replenished when not working, so when you do get back to that screen - you are newly resourced. 

5 / Know your limits

Lastly, all this advice wouldn’t be worth it if you simply take on more than you can chew. It is a skill—sometimes learnt the hard way—knowing not to take that final project which will be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Learning to say no is one of the most important things you’ll learn in your career, and it is exactly for instances like that - protecting your work and making sure nothing you take o ends up hindering your current work. 

If you have even the slightest sense that you’re approaching your limit, and the next project on offer will be the one to tip you over the edge of what you’re capable of - just say no.