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Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you :
It depends who you’ll ask about me.
Your current job :
I’am an academic in the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts of the Cyprus University of Technology and a freelance graphic designer/illustrator.
In which city are you located?
I live and work in Limassol, Cyprus.
A word to define what kind of worker you are :
Experimental, studious and playful. (I know, it’s not one word)
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)
Pencils of all sorts, black drawing pens, lots of sketchbooks, lots of old magazines since the 1930’s (for collages) and design software such as Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign mostly. There are of course some other design software that I use but these are the most frequently used.
What does your office space look like?
Being an academic and a freelancer, I work at the university’s Semiotics & Visual Communication Lab and at home. The first one is also being used but other members of the lab and it’s really tiny and tidy. The second one is actually a room in my house which is a more personal space. This is where I keep my books, magazines, music and most of my useful (and useless)tools and toys. Not tidy. Ever.
What kind of music do you listen when you are working ?
It can be anything from classical to jazz and from trip-hop to metal. It will depend on the kind of work I’m doing and the musical phase I’m going through. Most of the times I need to concentrate so I choose to listen to something that doesn’t distract me and I can hear my thoughts. So I pick something instrumental and chilled.
Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work ?
Every morning I prepare a to-do list that includes long-term and short-term projects and tasks. I start the day by replying the unstoppable flow of emails which can be tricky some times as I can be mingled into a limbo of needless conversations. My sketchbooks are extremely important to me to be able to sort out my ideas and thoughts. Also I use my iCloud calendar that is synced across my devices and allows me to manage my schedule and use my time efficiently.
What tips would you give to improve productivity ?
I think that the most challenging productivity crisis-for most creatives-is the access to unlimited amount of data and inspiration through the internet. An important asset is to be able to filter all these in a creative way and not to fall into the abyss of other people’s work. Also invest as much time is required to organise your daily, weekly or even monthly responsibilities. It’s the most fundamental way to keep things under your control. And very liberating also. Sounds simple but it’s not.
You’re better than your colleagues to :
I would never make such a statement. What I consider though as my greatest virtue is that I am quite versatile.
What is the best advice anyone has given you ?
It’s the whole poem of Charles Bukowski “So You Want To Be A Writer”. It works as a recurring advise throughout my career. It starts like this:“If it doesn’t come bursting out of youin spite of everything,don’t do it.unless it comes unasked out of yourheart and your mind and your mouthand your gut,don’t do it…”
What is your best tip for saving time ?
I usually aim to leave the most demanding tasks for last so my flow of work won’t be interrupted. Also I would suggest to minimise the amount of time you spend looking at your smartphone or you computer screen, browsing the social media.
What is your routine start and end of the day ?
The day doesn’t start unless I consume a bowl of porridge for fuel and a cup (or more) of magic potion (filter coffee). It usually ends with watching a film, really, really late at night as I need to stop thinking about work. Otherwise I will end up staring at the ceiling and thinking eternally about art.
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not you go without?
I live in Cyprus where is sunshine throughout the year. I also have very sensitive eyes, especially when I work until early morning sometimes. Therefore, my foldable RayBan sunglasses.
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