Font Combinations & Pairings - Page 40 of 82

Hold my beer

Yes, I’d like to try one. I’d like to try one in Iceland. Hat’s off to Auston Design Group, they do amazing branding and package design for beer, wine, and spirits.

131 Ways to Spark Creativity

Just got the new book, The Art of Noticing – It’s a fun, down-to-earth book chock-full of ideas on how to see and connect more deeply to the world around you. Here’s a few lines from the beginning:

Imagine… devoting just one hour a week to consciously directing your attention. How would that affect the way you see, perceive, and think? How would it shift the way you engage with the world? How much might that not only change but also improve your work and your life? …Let’s stop trying to be so productive all the time and make an effort to be more curious. Do you want to look back on a life of items crossed off lists drawn up in response to the demands of others? Or do you want to hang on to, and repeat, and remember, the thrill of discovering things on your own? –Rob Walker

The Art of Noticing, hot off the press May 2019

Creative ups & downs

every time a non-writer friend asks “how’s work going??” i either stare at them with dead eyes or gush about how lucky i am to have the greatest job on earth. so i made this chart to explain: pic.twitter.com/bxcHcyPuD6
— Erin Griffith (@eringriffith) June 6, 2019

If you do creative work for other people, this chart is a fact of life. But if you are doing and monetizing what YOU want, no one has you at their whim. Figuring out how to do that is the trick 😛 .

Visual illustration of famous authors’ sleep habits and productivity

Ever wondered if some of your favorite writers were early or late risers? Ever wanted to justify your own bizarre sleep schedule? I’ve always been fascinated with the routines of famous creatives. Check out this cleverly illustrated chart from Brainpickings.org and observe how sleep routines may or may not correlate with productivity. (Created by Maria Popova, Wendy MacNaughton and Accurat)

Compete by playing, not working

Find the thing that looks like work to others, but feels like play to you, and then go all in on it.

Naval Ravikant, on the Joe Rogan podcast.

The Unfair Advantage of Loving Your Work

Naval Ravikant built a reputation as one of Silicon Valleys most thoughtful investors and entrepreneurs. His advice on career strategy comes down to finding your natural advantages and leaning into them completely. The quote above captures the essence of his philosophy: compete where you have an unfair advantage. When work feels like play, you will naturally do more of it. You will think about it in the shower, tinker with it on weekends, and develop expertise faster than someone who treats the same activity as a chore. Over time, this compounds into a massive skill advantage.

Applying This to Design Careers

The design industry is broad enough that you can specialize in almost any direction. Some designers love typography and could spend hours kerning a headline. Others find that tedious but get lost in color theory. Some thrive on the logic of user experience while others prefer the craft of illustration. The key insight is that motivation matters more than raw talent in the long run. A moderately talented designer who genuinely loves the work will eventually surpass a naturally gifted designer who finds it draining. Enthusiasm sustains the thousands of hours of practice required for mastery.

Finding Your Play

If you are not sure what type of design feels like play to you, pay attention to what you do when nobody is watching. What design blogs do you read for fun? What side projects do you start without any external motivation? What aspects of client work do you look forward to versus dread? The answers reveal your natural inclinations. Build your career around those inclinations rather than fighting against them.