More GTD

The CreativePro newsletter that just landed in my inbox contains an article, Getting Thing Done, on using the GTD method to increase your creativity. D. Keith Robinson writes "I believe that a good designer can be made and the skills needed to be a genuinely creative person can come through discipline, learning, and practice, not just god-given talent. Working hard and getting things done can lead to a more creative life, I'm sure of it."

This feels like a little bit of synchronicity to me, confirming the path I've chosen to travel. I'm creative, and I'm okay at what I do, but I want to be exceptional. That means a lot of work, and I've got a lot of projects floating around in my head. As I tend to need a lot of organization and structure in my work habits, GTD seems to work pretty naturally for me. I'm already doing, or am in the process of doing, many of the things that Robison discusses. I'm just working on building the habits.

The process he outlines:

• Capture Everything: Write it all down so you don't have to remember it.
• Focus on Creativity: Remove distractions, concentrate on one task at a time.
• Creative Context: Create project lists based on location (i.e. @home, @office) so that when you have a few spare moments, you can pull up the relevant list and complete a couple of tasks.
• Do a Creative Review: Record ideas, inspiration, and resources as you come across them and then make a habit of reviewing them at least once a week.
• Make a Habit of Being Creative: Set up creative goals and routines. For example, Robison tries to take at least one photo per day and write 1,500 words of fiction per week.

If you're interested in learning more about Getting Things Done, he also provides these links:

• Getting Started with "Getting Things Done"
  
• The Basics of "Getting Things Done"
• Wikipedia Entry

Best wishes for creative productivity!

Cool Illustration: Adobe Jester

I'm currently cleaning out my email inbox in an attempt to get more organized, Getting Things Done-style, and I came across an old email from Adobe advertising the release of CS3. I saved it because I really liked the Jester illustration. It's slightly creepy, and I'm not sure exactly what it's saying about CS3 (if you buy CS3, you can make really creepy-cool jester illustrations, too?) but I think it's neat. Action complete, email deleted!

Also, speaking of GTD, I downloaded the application iGTD today after Chris Brogan recommended it via Twitter. I had looked at it before, but because I've been using Remember the Milk as my to-do organizer, I really didn't investigate further. But I tend to use RTM for more immediate to-do items, and am going to give iGTD a try for my long-term projects. I certainly have enough of them to experiment with!

Root:1 Wine Design

I've suddenly started receiving a lot of promotional emails about Chilean wines, and I thought I'd take the opportunity to say how much I like the overall design aesthetic of Root: 1, a Chilean wine producer. Many new world wines put a lot of thought into their packaging to appeal to American consumers, who are much more likely to make choices based on visual appeal and/or familiarity rather than varietals and geography. The bottles I've come across from Root:1 are just lovely, and I'm impressed with their web site as well. Interestingly, and indicative of the importance placed on design, they have a section where you can view and download their POS and packaging materials.

Also, if you're into wine, there is a 90 point Root:1 Cabernet available at Wine.com (and most likely at any decent wine merchant) for $10.79. Well designed and a good deal to boot!