As the pandemic normalized remote working necessities, many people in many industries have established a working formula for themselves, using their personal devices and personal internet connections to become more flexible in their creativity.
As such, a range of industries, especially those aided and abetted by computer work, have managed to open up somewhat and become more open in their working requirements. This demands a new skillset, especially when it comes to digital fluency and care. As a creative looking to take their work into the digital space while working from home, it can be worthwhile to consider exactly what your necessities are, so that you’re never caught in a shorthanded fashion.
Working from home is a great boon for many people, but it does take time, effort and enthusiasm to get right. It also requires the ability to invest in the tools and the practices you need to keep on top of your organization and practical work, be that purchasing an industry-standard drawing tablet for illustrators and graphic designers, or using correct spelling software for freelance writers.
With that in mind, please consider the following advice:
Keep Your Computer Hard Drives Well Managed
Your hard drives and cloud storage drives are where all of your creative materials will no doubt be kept, from audio files to written projects to extensive graphic design materials. For this reason, it’s important to makes sure you have backups, and that your cloud storage syncs with your hard drive space, so that as soon as a file is updated or added it can be immediately mirrored in another place.
You’ll also find that knowing how to clear the purgeable space of your device can ensure temporary and other files from adding up, improving the storage of your hard drives and helping them run more quickly. Of course, it’s also worthwhile for creatives to learn how to organize their files, from using a worthwhile labelling system to making sure folders are properly applied and subfolders divided. This can help you more readily find items you need, using your operating system search tools when needed.
Lay Out Your Desk Accordingly
It’s a good idea to lay out your desk in the best possible manner - that is in a way that helps you work comfortably and with clarity. For creatives, this may mean better placing a MIDI keyboard in front of their actual keyboard or playing a graphics tablet where the arm can naturally rest on the desk. An L shaped desk is often considered the most useful for this, but U shaped desks can also work wonders. You will also find that standing desks can be a great investment, allowing you to stand up throughout the course of the day in order to remain active - this keeps your mind more alert and your creativity stoked like warm kindling.
Invest In Production-Accurate Equipment
Investing in production-accurate equipment can help you deliver more readily on your output, allowing you to compete in terms of the industry standard. For instance, this might mean investing in a personal license of creative products such as software offered by Adobe. In many cases, an IPS (in-plane switching) computer monitor will provide more accurate color representation compared to other models, which can help graphic designers, video editors and colorists, and illustrators deliver more readily.
For those involved in music production, a closed headphone with studio-recording quality like the famous Beyerdynamic DT 770’s can be a great place to start, while a pre-amp and dynamic microphone can help achieve better vocals. For some people, adding anti-echo foam to the walls can help avoid that sense of sound echo within a space, too. No matter if you need a green screen, or more advanced equipment, be sure to lay out everything you need when designing your home office and structure your space around it. This will help you become more productive and deliver better results.
Set Your Essential Hours
Creative professionals are much more likely to freelance, work remotely, or try to build their own business or brand. While working hard is essential to making sure success is found, it’s also worthwhile to make sure you set your essential hours from day to day. If you can do this, then you’re so much more likely to properly divide your personal and professional life in the best way, and this can help you avoid burnout or beginning to dislike the role where your talents lie.
With this advice, we hope creatives working from home can succeed in the best possible manner.
