The world is quiet in the evening. Warm, ambient lighting softly blankets a small nook in the small office. The open window allows the pops of light rain and occasional gentle breeze to waltz inside. A mishmash of books, sketches, crumpled sticky notes, half-baked ideas, and open-ended dreams cover the top of the old desk, which also holds a flickering candle that fills the air with the aroma of Douglas fir.

These are the conditions that put me into a creative flow. The environment that (most often) allows me to create effortlessly, where the ideas seem to flood out.

The longer you work in your creative practice, the more you notice the rituals or environment that help you get into a state of focus and flow. It could be a coffee shop in the morning. A rocking chair on your back porch. At your desk with a cup of coffee and an open window. Or maybe it’s a ritual like lighting a candle before you dive into some deep work. They might evolve, depending on the type of work or the season of your life.

The more you pay attention to what those conditions are, the more likely you’ll be able to replicate them when you need to — and the more likely inspiration will pay you a visit.

Stay inspired,

Creative Director

L I N K   R O U N D   U P

1. 1960s Milwaukee Bus Passes
With striking numerals, unexpected color combinations, and a more-is-more approach to design, we’re hypnotized by these old bus passes.

2. Meet Barbican
“Barbican is a typeface inspired by London’s iconic Barbican Centre, a landmark of Brutalist architecture.” Or as one of our designers called it, “a skinny lizard cowboy.”

3. 15,000 Images from the Vogue Archive
With more than a century of issues, there’s no shortage of inspiration to be pulled from the Google Arts & Culture archive of Vogue images.

4. ‍The Substance and Soul of the South
The team at Matchstic helped The Atlanta Journal-Constitution define their verbal identity: a blend of Southern and smart, but never folksy. We’re particularly partial to the line, “Many cover the South. Few can claim it.”

C R E A T I V E   S P O T L I G H T

Photo by Shannon Walter

Since 2021, Indianapolis has been home to BUTTER, a multi-day fine art fair that serves to shine a spotlight on Black artists. But it’s not just an art event; it’s also an experiment in raising industry standards and making a career in art more sustainable. How so? By charging $0 to participate and returning 100% of sales back to the respective artists. This effort is championed by GANGGANG, a cultural development firm that’s fueling the city’s creative and cultural resurgence. Since BUTTER started, $749,000 worth of art has been sold, and the momentum continues to build each year.

We love the GANGGANG mantra: “Dope sh*t only, please. Let’s build together.”

N O W   H I R I N G

I N   C A S E   Y O U   M I S S E D   I T

1. NoCodeOps Case Study

See how we worked with the NoCodeOps team to pivot away from the product positioning trap and into an acquisition from Zapier.

2. NoCodeOps Rebrand Debrief

Hear about NoCodeOps’ rebrand experience firsthand as CEO Philip Lakin chats with Focus Lab’s Bill Kenney. They tackle the strategy behind tough brand architecture decisions and their company’s success using a community-based approach as a SaaS company.

3. The College Football Playbook for B2B Brands

Our talented brand writer, Wade Livingston, took a deep dive into the college football fan experience that’s as varied and vast (some would say illogical) as, well, our B2B landscape.

F O L L O W   U S