When do you feel most creative?
Pratchaya: Usually it will be right after I see something inspiring or creative, like going to museums or an exhibition, watching Studio Ghibli animations, or reading a good graphic novel.
Kavin: For me, I feel most creative when I’m running. I like thinking about work while running because it’s quiet and my head is very clear during a run.
Tell me a little about your relationship to deadlines? Do you meet them easily? And do you need them to motivate you?
Kavin: I am the type of person who will always plan everything and work accordingly, so I don’t have problems with deadlines except for when clients request us to send a final piece of work one day after the draft approval. This usually happens with Thai clients. (We call it a ‘One night miracle’.)
Pratchaya: I am the opposite of Kavin. I usually don’t plan everything and work according to my feelings that day. But I don’t need deadlines to motivate me, Kavin will be the one to do that.
I feel most creative when I’m running
Do you need routine?
Kavin: I do. Even though we’re self-employed, we still need a routine so that we can manage to get all the work done according to the schedule.
Pratchaya: I don’t think we ‘need’ a routine but still we have pretty much the same routine every day. Routine makes it easier to get things done, but because we’re self-employed I can always break my routine any day that I feel like it.
How much do you adhere to a ‘conventional’ 9-5 working week?
Pratchaya: We start working around noon, after we have our brunch, until around 10 PM or midnight, depending on our workload. But since it’s only the two of us we can always take a break anytime in the day, as long as the work for the day is done.
Do you work better in the morning or the evening?
Kavin: To me it doesn’t work like that. If there is work, there is a timeline, it needs to be done. Whether it’s morning or evening we work all the time.
Pratchaya: Depends on the day and how good the coffee I have had that day is.
Do you work on the weekends?
Kavin: Yes, we do, but it all depends on how busy we are. Some weeks we work seven days a week and some weeks if we have a little more free time, we will find a day off to take a break, usually on weekdays to avoid the crowd.
Do you try to draw a clear line between ‘life’ and ‘work’ or does it all blend into one?
Kavin: It all blends into one. Once I start working, I can’t get it out of my head. Whatever I’m doing, I will always think of my work.
Pratchaya: I draw a line, but not a very clear one. There will be some brief moments when I really want to rest and not think about work, like before bed or when we’re out for a walk.
On days when you hit a creative block, what do you do to get past it?
Pratchaya: On a day that I hit a creative block, I try to work on the things that don’t require much creativity, such as drawing the finals, doing animated artwork, or anything like that. When I get past it, I will come back with the creative part.
Kavin: Look at the utility bills. Just kidding. Really I will just try to squeeze the ideas out of my head and will do that until I eventually get it.
Read More: Creative Living: Cracklez
