As much as we’d sometimes like to, drawing a thick line between work life and personal life is impossible. Our work is inherently personal. And our work is a big part of life. So how can we begin to talk about a balance between the two?

Of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer out there. But it is important to address it. After all, we are a group of crazy, passionate, and creative people, who needs both our heads and our hearts at work. Our personal lives intensely affect the quality of our work. So keeping things in check there will give us the freedom to be more creative and productive in front of the screen or sketchbook (and vice versa). And if you’re in a left-brain mood, studies show that people who work for organizations that provide work/life benefits are more productive and loyal.

We’ve all learned by now how to make a list of priorities and, unfortunately, how easily it gets tossed by the wayside in favor of more pressing daily activities. Don’t get me wrong, doing an exercise in defining your priorities is important, but what about some practical ways to achieve them?

Here are a few ways to become who you want to be and achieve that elusive equilibrium. We are going to focus more on outlining the demands of your personal life, since most of us have career responsibilities that are already fairly well defined.

There are a few things that you need to commit to examining in your personal life to achieve a healthy balance:

1. Your family. Communicate with them as far as their needs and commit to meeting the ones that are at all possible. After all, you keep your family for life.
2. Your health. Schedule blocks of time for physical and mental well being. We all know how essential that is.
3. Your social life. Staying in touch with friends is essential for mental health.
4. Your habits. Be honest with yourself, and set limits on anything you do in excess. This might be work, internet surfing, TV, etc.
5. Yourself. Make “me” time, which is healthy for relaxation and personal reflection.

Now comes the part that might be hard for some of us. Ask for advice from someone close to you; it could be employees, family members, or friends. Have them help you point out anything to change, and then have them help you stick to your plans.

Once you’ve determined the needs of your personal life, consider your work responsibilities. Could you adjust your schedule in any way to balance both sides of the demands? Could you commit to being more productive at work in order to make more time for other healthy pursuits? (Tip: there are lots of productivity posts here!) Talk with your team to develop an environment that accommodates both work and personal development. In the creative environment, everyone will benefit.

Work/life balance might be a bit of a moving target, but the more effort you put into achieving it, the closer you’ll be to achieving it. What’s worked for you in your pursuit toward balance?

I have to lay some ground rules on this post: I am a visual media creator and tech geek. Talking about this stuff gets me cranked up, but it can make other people’s eyes glaze over. So, if you have a passion for image creation and technology, read on; otherwise, you may find that your Facebook status needs updating or there is a book you need to catch up on.

As a photographer and filmmaker I have always been after the “look” in my imagery.  I know a visual image will not stand up without a good story behind it, but I have always tried to create beautiful imagery to go along with the story. When I talk of the “look” in digital motion images, what I mean is that the image looks like traditional motion film. There are many things that give images a film-like quality, but one of the major ones is a shallow depth of field. Shooting with video cameras has a drawback that there is a large depth of field. Almost everything is in focus. Without going into too much of a technical explanation, it has to do with the small sensor size of most digital video cameras. To get this shallow depth of field on one of these video cameras, we would go to great lengths and attach what is called a depth of field or “DOF” adapter. It is basically a device that allows us to use traditional 35mm lenses by attaching these lenses to a box with a spinning ground glass in it onto which the lens focuses its image.  The video camera would then focus onto the ground glass. Sounds confusing, doesn’t it? Well, try lugging one of these set- ups half way around the world, all just to get the “look”. Trust me, it is not an easy thing to carry around.

Well, now to the exciting stuff…

The new series of HD DSLRs that have hit the market in the last year or so and have rocked the industry in ways I do not think that anyone could have predicted. These are the digital 35mm cameras you can get at the local Best Buy. Our studio happens to be Canon-based, and we use the 5DII and 7D. Canon originally added HD video to their 5DII so that photo journalists in the field could grab video footage also. These cameras are able to produce full HD footage. The big deal with these cameras is that they have a large sensor. I do not want to get too technical, but having the large sensor used with traditional 35mm lenses enables us to get that shallow depth of field that us image makers crave. When these cameras came out, people realized they could take a $2,500 camera and have the capabilities to shoot television commercials or dramatic movies. This was a huge deal.

Now, this is just first generation stuff, and there are still some technical issues to deal with, but we are making these cameras work in ways people never thought possible. Several of this past years’ Super Bowl commercials were shot with one of these cameras, and commercials that are being aired on network TV everyday have been shot with them. They’re being used to shoot large motion pictures, and big names in Hollywood are working with them. One of the great things about this is that the playing field has been leveled. If you have a great story and the eye to shoot great imagery, you can produce incredible quality productions at a fraction of the cost.

There is so much more I could ramble on about these game-changing cameras. It is easy to get caught up in focusing too much on technology and forgetting they are simply tools to get and end result. The exciting thing is that it is now so much easier to get that “look”.

Any new ways of shooting or photo apps you are in love with? What sorts of technology is getting you excited? Let us know.

PS: For more on our pal Brian MacDonald and his work check out his site, blog or follow him on twitter.

If you’re anything like me, you’re a bit of an artist. Maybe you’re an illustrator, or maybe you take pictures. Or maybe, when you show people your work, it goes something like this: “Did you draw this?” “No.” “Did you take this picture?” “No.” “Well, did you write the words?” “Ummm, no, but it was all my idea.” “So you printed the brochure, then?” “NO.” (an annoyed, incredulous stare) “Well, what DID you do?” Yes, that makes you the ambiguous Graphic Designer. Or maybe you’re not any of these, and you have one of those cushy “desk jobs”, which is fine. Have a few laughs; enjoy the pictures. But I’m talking to the artist-types out there.

So, what do we all have in common (not you with the desk job – the artist types)– besides living lives filled with fame, glory, money, and all the other blessings that come along with a career as an advertising or graphic design professional?

In one form or another, we all sketch* (*draw. paint. color. doodle). And again, if you’re anything like me, maybe you don’t sketch enough. Maybe you only sketch when you have to. Or worst of all, when you DO sketch, it’s never with color. That’s me. At least it was.

Then one day, I ran across this article about an illustrator who had done the cover of the New Yorker…. on his iPhone. I was intrigued. I have an iPhone. So I started digging deeper. The app is called BRUSHES, and it’s $5. That was all I needed to know. I called the man and asked (in my best goat voice): “whe-e-e-e-e-e-e-re do I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I si-i-i-i-i-i-i-gn u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-up?” LMAO. Okay, now I’m just being silly.

Anyway, I downloaded the app, and the rest is history. Full color, hi-res output (up to about 8″x10″ @ 300dpi), importable into Photoshop: the works. You can even export the image as a movie and watch how it developed. Although I still don’t draw enough…. Oh, well. It’s a start.

Love to you all,
the Dude™

For years I’ve been impressed by the online communities of tinkerers, modders, and hackers that have been collecting on the internet discussing how to reuse and mod their old (and new) electronics. By reusing and modding our stuff we can create cooler and more useful applications while not buying new things. The skillset required for projects varies greatly, from super simple to computer-programmer complex. But almost all projects give you the details you need, and if you need more help, there’s always youtube!

The biggest and most well-known communities are Instructables, Hack a Day and MAKE. We scoured each site and compiled a list of DIY experiments that we’re definitely looking into, to get us in the holiday mood.

The Christmas Cannon
Handmade paper ball ornaments
Computerized Christmas lights
Controlling your Christmas tree via webcam
A collection of DIY Christmas gift ideas

If hacking electronics isn’t your thing, you could always check out Ikea Hacker and Readymade for home decorating DIY inspiration and tips.

Have you done any DIY hacks to your electronics? What do you create for yourself rather than buying? Drop us a comment below.

Today’s guest blogger is our current freelance designer Craig, you may remember him as our beloved slam dunking, penguin surfing, and competitive eating intern.

If you caught last weekend’s episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, you saw the results of hard work from thousands of individuals and dozens of companies in the Northwest Illinois region, including me! The house build was only a few minutes away from my hometown and I was excited to help out those in need. I worked on the house for a few days and the amount of progress from day to day was incredibly inspiring.

Watching the show Sunday was a great recap of the build, and it was interesting at how all the footage was edited down. Although, the program itself didn’t totally convey the huge push for volunteerism and action across the community that was raised in the excitement of Extreme Makeover. Volunteers came out of the woodwork, both locally, with support raised for the local Sportsplex, local food pantries, and other local charities, as well as nationally, with volunteers signed up to the Be The Match marrow registry (watch the episode to see why). Even today, months after the filming, the region has seen an increase in volunteers as a result of Extreme Makeover.

If you missed the episode, you can catch it on Hulu. And for a behind the scenes view, you can check out the build’s Flickr page here. It was truly inspiring to see the outcome of everyone’s efforts and how seemingly impossible things, building an entire house in 7 days, can be achieved when everyone pitches in and helps out. While the TV spotlight on Northwest Illinois lasted only 1 hour on a Sunday night, the impact on our region will hopefully remain for months and years to come.

Have you ever helped on this show? What do you do to volunteer or hope to do soon?

Ever since Helvetica hit the (video) screens way back in 2007, there has been a plethora of great and intriguing design documentaries that have given the general public, and even us designers, an inside look into our profession. We tracked down some of our favorite new documentaries to share with you. Keep an eye out for these at your favorite independent theater.

Objectified – Trailer
Gary Hustwit’s first documentary following Helvetica highlights industrial design and how everyday objects affect our world. This documentary features interviews from many of today’s top industrial designers including Chris Bangle, Karim Rashid, Tim Brown, along with several top commentators and experts in the field. Covering a wide range of topics in industrial design, Objectified is an awesome introduction into our “object” world. It was just released on DVD last week, so pick it up now.

Art & Copy – Trailer
Art & Copy opens an eye to the advertising world that the public doesn’t normally see. It features commentary by advertisers and an overview of some of the greatest ad campaigns of the last 50 years. This is surely a must-see to anyone who consumes advetisements…which is everyone.

Milton Glaser: To Inform & Delight – Trailer
One of the most iconic American designers of the twentieth century, Milton Glaser has produced some of the most engaging works in the last half century. These include the famous poster from 1967′s Bob Dylan Greatest Hits, The I Heart NY campaign, and several high profile posters for various festivals and campaigns worldwide. Get a better look at the genius of Glaser’s work, process, and theories with this documentary.

Typeface – Sneak Peek
Typeface, which just premiered last month, focuses on the tradition of letterpress printing and printmaking. Featuring historians and printmakers based out of the Hamilton Type Museum in Twin Rivers, Wisconsin, Typeface is the de facto documentary in the wooden type revival.

Died Young, Stayed Pretty – Trailer
Died Young, Stayed Pretty follows the evolution and growth of the current underground concert poster scene, all while questioning whether or not it even exists. Meet some fantastic poster artists, including one of our favorites, Chicago’s own Jay Ryan.

Which one is your favorite? Drop us a comment below. If you feel like going old school, you can check out this series of documentaries produced by the BBC chronicling the invention of the Gutenberg press, arguably the most important invention…ever.

At a conference like AIGA’s Make/Think Conference, it’s impossible to boil down the few precious days into one sound byte, but there has been a quote going around that, if we were to be so bold, could come close to summarizing the very purpose and reason the conference exists:

“Creativity is a habit. It’s not something the happens in the shower.”

Nick Law passed down this cutting truth (I successfully avoided quipping that Nick “laid down the law,” you owe me) and he couldn’t be more right. Creativity IS a habit. The result of that habit sometimes is the shower moment, but creativity itself is the evidence of process. We are born creative and through habit is creativity grown (and suppressed, mind you. Lots of people say they’re ‘not creative,’ when they really are, they just don’t have opportunities to express it regularly. Often, what they mean is they’re not ‘artistic,’ an interesting association if you think about it, as if creativity can’t be expressed in anything but an artistic setting. But I digress.) And you know the best thing about the simple truth that creativity is habit? If this is indeed true, then that habit can be learned, that habit can be trained, that habit can be built! The misconception that some people have of themselves that they can “never be creative” is simply false. Not only can we all learn to express our creativity, but we who choose to make a living from that creativity can train to get better at it. How great is that!

That’s what “Caffeine for the Creative Mind” was meant to facilitate: the training of creativity. It provides the one thing that we need to express creative thought: a purpose. Think of it in childhood terms. Go ahead, put your toddler hat on for a second. No, I don’t mean to actually wear that old, ratty beanie… put that away, you look ridiculous. I mean think back to when you were an 8-year-old, sitting at an art table at school. On that art table is multi-colored construction paper, pens, glue, glitter, scissors… all the art supplies you could ever want. In walks the teacher, with that warm, excited smile she often had when she had something goooood to say. She announces that today is art day. All the kids raise their hands in victory and shout “BOOYAH!” (Ok, maybe my school was a little odd. Insert your chosen declaration of unabashed joy here.) She says “We have a very special project to work on today, your parents are going to think it’s the most beautiful project you’ve ever done! You have everything you need there on your table. So begin!”

Uhhh… what? Umm… something’s missing. WHAT ARE WE MAKING?!?!

All you needed to know was what you were making, that’s it. She could choose to show you EXACTLY what to make and how to make it, or she could leave it open to you, but without knowing ANYTHING about the subject at hand, how are you to proceed? That’s what the exercises in the book provide: the project. What you do from there is up to you. Creativity in it’s purest form, purpose without judgment. Think as big as you can.

If you’re like me, when I started my career, I thought the perfect project was described as a client providing an unlimited budget to do whatever I wanted. I thought that was the ideal scenario to be the most creative I could be. As I’ve grown in the industry, I’ve become to appreciate the true definition of creativity. Creativity can only be measured within the problem we solve. The tougher the problem, the more restrictive the situation, the more creative the opportunity. An unlimited budget to do whatever I want doesn’t require much creativity to solve it. But the more restrictive the problem, the more creative the solution.

For instance, imagine a client comes to you and hires you to create a new logo for his business. He gives you 20 weeks to develop the mark. You work on the project day and night for all 20 weeks, finally presenting your solution: a colored square with his initials knocked out of the middle. Not very creative, is it? Well, hold up, why not? Why isn’t it a very creative solution? Because you worked on it for 5 months, that’s why! It’s normal to expect a more creative solution given the slightly longer than normal timeframe placed on the project. (What? You don’t get almost half a year on your projects? That’s absurd! Such wicked conditions you must work under…)

But what if we changed the situation slightly. What if your client came to you and said “My boss is walking down the hall towards us right now, he’ll be here in 10 seconds, I need a new design for our corporate logo asap!” Probably closer to the truth than the other scenario, but that’s another story. You quickly create a rectangular shape with 4 equal sides, representing the 4 pillars of strength the company is built upon (BS101 is a class many take but few pass. Congratulations, professor.) and choosing the perfect emotion-evoking typeface, you knock out the letters from the middle of the square. Now, given the ungodly restriction placed upon you, that same solution is elevated in terms of it’s creativity. While it’s no Jeff Fisher, the solution is far more creative than it was in the 20 week scenario with the only difference being the restrictions placed on it. It’s not the lack of restriction that promotes creativity. Quite the contrary, creativity is defined by it’s boundaries. As creatives, we should covet the limitations, not make voodoo dolls of our clients when they are doled out.

So now you’re chomping at the bit for some restrictions, aren’t you? You’re frothing for some purpose, huh? Well, let’s do this! It’s creative exercise time, so get let’s see some big, fat, hairy ideas already!

———————–
CREATIVE EXERCISE: Bland No Longer

The garden-variety orange traffic cone has been the universal symbol of “go away from here” for years. When otherwise friendly, outgoing people see an area where multiple orange traffic cones have gathered, they go the other direction, avoiding any contact with the cones. This has obviously led to a generation of orange traffic cone exclusion mindsets, dejected and inconsolable orange traffic cones taking their own cone lives on many occasions. In honor of your newfound hopeful desire to help change the cycle of cone abuse, your task today is to redesign or decorate the orange traffic cone to make it more inviting, to make people want to hang around cones once again. Think of it as “Extreme Makeover: Orange Traffic Cone Edition.”
———————–

Thanks to our friend Stefan Mumaw for contributing. Stefan has written several books including two of our favorites Caffeine for the Creative Mind and Caffeine for the Creative Team: 200 Exercises to Inspire Group Innovation – hook a brother up and purchase one or both today.

For any of you that do this exercise email us and we will post!

Some of you may or may not know, but today, April 27th, is World Graphic Design Day. A fairly new holiday, with the initial celebration being in 1995, it began as a way to honor the field of graphic/commercial design. On this day we break out the party hats and commemorate our wonderful profession with typeface documentaries, passionate critiques, and catching up with our designer buddies.

How do you plan on celebrating? 

P.S. don’t forget to send your beloved designer friends a card in their favorite font!

It’s in our nature to anticipate the future – we always want to make things better than they already are. Even the smallest ideas, from a single person, can eventually grow into something massive and perhaps even change the world. Just think, because of our desire for progress computers are faster, communication is easier, and we have hundreds of different fonts to choose from!

This simple concept is the foundation of a website community known as The Better Project. We at Rule29 love our social networks, but we love it even more when those networks can change the world through collaboration.

This recent online community does exactly what you may think– it prompts users to make whatever they want better. TBP allows people to share their thoughts on anything they want to improve, creating an arena where they can work together towards common goals. There are currently forums for discussing how to improve Facebook, New York City, and even democracy.

What is something you would like to improve? Dislike the way your iPhone gets so smudgy after only a couple minutes or use, or how the Chicago Cubs always fall short of the Wold Series? Join in the discussion, and share your thoughts on how to make something better.

In most areas Daylight Savings Time messed with lots of sleep patterns this past weekend, but is there any real benefit to this practice anymore? First proposed in 1907 by William Willett, DST has become a controversial topic this time of year. Many claim that DST actually goes against the green movement by increasing our overall energy consumption in the summer months. The extra hour of sunlight forces many to crank their air conditioning for an extra hour, supposedly offsetting the lack of artificial light usage. However, we think that brighter evenings can be beneficial to the green movement!

Here are some activities that will put your extra hour of sunlight to good use…

• Take a bike ride to your local antique store. Exercise and sustainable shopping; good for you AND the environment.
• Enjoy a walk through a nearby park with friends or family. Bring a canvas bag and in between a nice chat, pick up any scattered cans or bottles to recycle.
• Try a new recipe with organic ingredients and without turning on your oven. These no-bake cookies take less than 30 minutes to prepare! Use your other half hour to enjoy these treats outside in a picnic setting
• Start a compost routine. It’s even more fun if you take the time to build your own bin.
• Head out to the backyard and plant a tree! Not only do trees help reduce the amount of CO2 in the air, they are beautiful to look at. Watch it grow throughout the summer and for years to come.

What green activities do you plan on taking part in this spring?