Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you :
Nina Minnebo
Your current job :
Graphic designer/Artist
In which city are you located?
Well itʼs not really a city, itʼs a little village called Kester. We are 1800 people living here and 5 times that amount in cows.
A word to define what kind of worker you are :
First of all Iʼm a dreamer and after that Iʼm a passionate & impulsive do-er.
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)
My computer, iPad, Adobe CC and their mobile appʼs like Adobe Draw, Capture and I use Procreate to quickly sketch out paintings but also real paint, ink, paper, canvas, brushes, ….
What does your office space look like?
It changed a lot the last years, but for now Iʼm working in a winter garden and I absolutely love it, itʼs bathing in (sun)light al the time and the ceiling is very high so I donʼt feel boxed in. Itʼs perfect to paint and make stuff. I love color so itʼs important to see how they vibrate in daylight. Iʼm much more productive also. There are a lot of plants because I love their presence and color. When itʼs hot I can open the doors and let the air in. Itʼs just perfect.
What kind of music do you listen when you are working ?
That really depends of my mood. When I need to focus I will not listen to new music but most likely to acoustic music. When I feel I need to boost my mood I put on some happy tunes. I donʼt have a specific genre I listen to it goes from Billie holiday to Rihanna, David Bowie to the Black Keys, Wild Child, Christine & the queens, Bob Dylan, 2 many DJʼs, Chet Faker, etc… I like to listen to Ted Talks too, inspiring stories.
Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work ?
Do one thing at the time, put your phone on silent mode and disable your mail notifications. I also separate my graphic design days from my ʻartistʼ days, so none of them can overlap each other.
What tips would you give to improve productivity ?
The first things I think is really a waste of time is meetings and emails. You know which meetings I mean. The meetings about the meetings and wether you should have another meeting for the meetings to come. AArrgghhhh. The email part is necessary (some meetings too off course) but I try to follow the rule to check my emails in the morning and at the end of the day. Another thing is SOCIAL MEDIA. I removed Facebook and Instagram from my phone. Stop scrolling and look up.
You’re better than your colleagues to :
I try not to compare myself to other people, itʼs a negative, vicious circle I was spending to much time in. I believe everyone should see him/herself as unique. What you admire in a person is what makes him unique, so believe in yourself and your ideas and be unique, donʼt waste your time trying to be like that other fantastic person, try to be YOU and fantastic.
What is the best advice anyone has given you ?
Stop comparing yourself to others.
What is your best tip for saving time ?
You canʼt really save time, but work like you want to, the way that makes you the most productive and donʼt let others dictate you to work from 9 to 5. Everybody is flexible. In the end the only thing that matters is to get the job done.
What is your routine start and end of the day ?
I start with coffee and I go for a walk with my dog. I donʼt have an end of day routine, ok maybe one, go to bed.
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not you go without?
Itʼs not a gadget, itʼs the real people and real brushes, paint, ink, sketchbook,…