New Year, New Intentions... But Life Always Gets in the Way: A Graphic Designer’s Struggle to Stay Focused
Staying focused is key
Working a small studio can be exciting but it has it’s challenges.
Friday 3rd January 2025
Ah, the new year. That magical time when we’re filled with fresh optimism, grand plans, and the undying belief that this is *finally* the year we’ll organize our email inbox, stop procrastinating, and get a handle on all those client projects.
As graphic designers working in a small studio (or let’s be real, a *semi-structured chaos factory*), we start each year with good intentions. A new calendar is like a blank canvas, waiting to be filled with sleek designs, polished projects, and the satisfaction of deadlines met well in advance. But then… *life* happens. You know, the things like kids, pets, clients who email at 2 AM (and somehow expect a response by morning), and—oh right—those pesky distractions like Instagram, that great new font found on Behance, and a sudden, overwhelming urge to rearrange your entire workspace.
So, let’s dive into this beautiful mess that is the life of a small studio designer, shall we? Grab your coffee (or wine, no judgment here), because we're about to talk about how staying focused on client work can sometimes feel like trying to ride a unicycle while juggling flaming torches.
The Illusion of Time
At the start of the year, you feel like a productivity superhero. You've got your project management tool set up, your calendar is color-coded to perfection, and you've promised yourself you’ll never miss a deadline again. *You are unstoppable!.*
But then… *Monday* happens. You open your inbox to a request from a client who needs a full branding overhaul yesterday. You think, “I’ve got this,” until you realize the project is due next week, and you have a meeting in 30 minutes with another client who needs revisions. Oh, and you were supposed to update your portfolio this month. - Oops.
Suddenly, your well-organized plans are as useful as a pixelated image at 1x resolution. Time starts to slip away in little increments as “quick” email checks turn into deep dives into old projects and forgotten ideas. Where did the time go? It vanished, like that one freelance payment you’ve been waiting on since November.
The Curse of Creative Distractions
Here's the thing: graphic designers are often their own worst enemy when it comes to staying focused. Sure, client work is our bread and butter, but there’s always that shiny new thing that distracts us. It might be a new font on Google Fonts, a “quick” scroll through Dribbble (which somehow turns into two hours of “design envy”), or your friend sending you a meme that’s way too relevant to your current design struggles.
And then, there’s the unavoidable *new year’s creative energy*—you know, the one that makes you want to redesign your website, refresh your logo, and start a side project, all before lunch. By the time you’ve convinced yourself that the client’s logo can “wait just one more hour,” you’ve spent three hours perfecting a mockup for your imaginary startup.
The Battle Between Client Work and Self-Care
You tell yourself, “This year, I’m setting boundaries. I’m going to work smarter, not harder. No more working into the late hours of the night, and definitely no more caffeine-induced all-nighters.” But then, the emails flood in, and your laptop becomes an emotional support animal.
Let’s be honest: when you're a small studio, saying "no" can feel like saying goodbye to your creative soul. You want to take on every project, every opportunity, but in doing so, you end up in the creative trenches, struggling to find balance between delivering client work and maintaining your own well-being. Sometimes, the work-life balance looks less like a scale and more like a cat juggling knives on a tightrope. It’s tricky, it’s chaotic, and it always seems like something falls off the rope.
The “I’m Just Going to Tidy Up My Desktop” Syndrome
You’re working on a tight deadline. You’re almost finished with that banner ad, and then—suddenly, your desktop is *beyond* a mess. Every project file, every client email screenshot, every app you downloaded to “check it out later” has turned your workspace into a digital landfill.
You start out by just wanting to organize the desktop. One thing leads to another, and before you know it, you’ve spent an hour sorting folders and renaming files—while that banner ad? Still unfinished.
And guess what? When you finally get back to the design, you can’t even remember where you were. Did you want to add a drop shadow or subtract one? The design gods are merciless.
The 3 PM Creative Slump (or: Why Coffee is My Best Friend)
You start the day feeling like a creative superhero, ready to take on the world. But by 3 PM, your brain is as foggy as an old Photoshop file. The initial caffeine high has worn off, and you’re now staring at the client feedback on your screen, wondering if the comments make sense, or if it’s just the 17th cup of coffee talking. Your brain, which once happily bounced between colors and fonts, now struggles to decide whether the logo needs more red or if you should just add a drop shadow for fun.
You’ve officially entered the creative slump zone. But instead of admitting defeat, you convince yourself that if you add just one more cup of coffee, you’ll regain that spark of genius. Spoiler alert: You won’t.
The Moment of Reckoning (Or: "Why Did I Take On 12 Projects in One Month?")
Then, It’s the end of January. You’ve just realized you’re already behind on that one project that was supposed to be a quick turnaround. And then you check your email to find 15 more requests for new projects. The guilt sets in. You promised yourself this year would be different! You promised you’d focus! And yet, you’re sitting at your desk, fighting the urge to hide under a blanket and pretend you don’t exist.
But here’s the thing: It’s OK. You’re doing the best you can. Being a small studio designer means wearing a lot of hats, juggling many projects, and trying to stay sane in the process. You’ll get back on track. And when you do, it’ll feel all the sweeter because you’ve earned it. (And maybe, just maybe, you’ll actually use that project management tool you *swore* would make your life easier.)
In Conclusion: Embrace the Chaos
So, as we head into the new year, let’s remember that staying focused as a small studio designer is a constant balancing act. Sure, you’ll get distracted, overwhelmed, and occasionally wonder why you’re staring at a mockup of a cat playing with yarn instead of finishing that brochure design. But that’s the life of a designer — imperfect, messy, and wonderfully chaotic.
Keep those good intentions alive, but don't beat yourself up when life takes a detour. The work will get done. And who knows? The next distraction might just lead to the best creative breakthrough yet.
Here’s to a year of creative chaos and, hopefully, a few less all-nighters. Cheers!
Until next time…
Sonia Harris