Tag: creativity | Page 6 | Artisan Creative

Artisan Creative’s 5 Favorite Co-Working Spaces in San Francisco

Wednesday, October 15th, 2014|

We’re well aware that San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the US for cost of living, so starting out on your own or freelancing can be tough. With inflated rent and property prices, renting your own office space is out of the question for many. With that in mind, we’re featuring five of our favorite co-working spaces in San Francisco. Ranging from tech communities to shared living spaces, there’s something for everyone.

StartUpHouse
What we love about StartupHouse is that they have so many resources available for budding entrepreneurs or contactors. Finding accountants, legal advice or even sorting benefits can be time consuming and tricky but they have experts on-hand to give guidance and essentially free up your time. With 50 workspaces available, StartupHouse aims to be the home of builders, bootstrappers and disruptors. Located on Howard Street, they’re central to just about everything.

Parisoma
With two co-working options, Parisoma offers an open desk package which entitles you to attend their wide array of events (including delicious breakfasts) or a dedicated desk which includes 6 hours of conference room time per month. With 24/7 access, monthly and weekly events and workshops including hackathons, their modern open space is perfect for co-working. Parisoma has been home to many startups including QuickPay and Scoop.It. If you want your startup to have optimal resources available and intend on having client meetings, Parisoma is worth checking out.

Citizen Space
Citizen Space is a wonderful option if you just want to test the waters and try co-working. They have packages ranging from hourly drop-ins to full monthly dedicated desks. If that’s not enough, they have unlimited conference room time and perks such as snacks and coffee but best of all, a pet policy! You can bring your furfriends with you while you work. With a central location and a host of creative types renting office space, it’s a great atmosphere to meet new people, hang out and work.

20Mission
This friendly, open-plan environment is great for designers, developers and entrepreneurs alike who want to live and work in a creative community. With co-working desks as well as bedrooms to rent as living spaces, there’s a real community feel to the company. 20Mission hold regular events aimed at their members which includes video game nights, art gallery showings and parties held on their patio. Their memberships are great value for money and also have half-day passes available.

NextSpace
NextSpace has an array of locations across California including San Francisco, Union Square and San Jose. They act as more of a trendy, established agency who understand the needs of their members. As a member, you get benefits such as free ZipCar membership, 24/7 access and reduced gym rates. With tons of natural light and central locations (accessible by BART) plus a care facility for parents who need childcare, their vibrant community couldn’t be better.

Laura Pell – Recruiter at Artisan Creative

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Artisan Creative’s 5 Favorite Co-Working Spaces in Los Angeles

Wednesday, October 1st, 2014|

Working from home can be a luxury for many people and let’s face it; spending time at your home office instead of a traffic jam is never a bad thing. Sometimes there are those days when you just need interaction. Whether it comes in the form of friendly conversation with a guy one desk over or soaking up inspiration from beautiful architecture and surroundings, it’s good to have a change of scenery. With that in mind, we decided to share some of our favorite spots across the city to inspire your creativity and pique your mood.

The Unique Space
Arts District, Downtown
Living up to its name, The Unique Space is a beautiful historic factory turned co-working spot home to innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. We love their library filled with helpful resources and the fact that they even have bikes to borrow along with a rooftop terrace to take a break. Did we mention this spot has everything?

The Hub LA
Arts District, Downtown
The Hub is 7000 square feet of open-plan flooring and tall windows allowing plenty of light. What’s great about The Hub is that they have Media Lab which boasts post-production suites, spaces for filming and screening. You’ll also find a host of General Assembly events along with film screenings and workshops.

Kleverdog CoWorking
Chinatown
Kleverdog is an Artisan favorite and a regular place for us to hold company events and meetings. The atmosphere at Kleverdog is relaxed and as such, feels like a home away from home. With 24/7 access and a favorite with developers, designers, and writers you’re never short of finding new conversations and even a friendly office dog.

Blankspaces
Santa Monica, Downtown, Mid-Wilshire
One of the original co-working spaces opened its doors at Mid-Wilshire and most recently, Santa Monica and Downtown. The architecture of their buildings is beautiful and clearly a lot of time and effort went into the construction and layout of their spaces (owner Jerome is also an architect). We’ve used both Downtown and Mid-Wilshire locations and they’re great for meetings, co-working, and events.

Opodz
Little Tokyo
Opodz blends technology, community, and culture into one cohesive space which allows co-working, art events, and lectures. This week they’re hosting a UX Strategy lecture and they even feature their resident co-working colleagues on their website which is a thoughtful touch.

Do you have a favorite co-working space of your own that hasn’t been featured? We’re always on the lookout for new places to explore so share your recommendations in the comments.

Laura Pell | Talent Acquisition | Artisan Creative

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9 Tech Gadgets to Spruce Up Your Work Desk

Tuesday, September 16th, 2014|

The majority of us spend a good chunk of our 8 hour workday sitting at our desk crunching numbers, writing emails, and staring at the screen. With so much time spent in one spot, why not deck it out with some cool desk gadgets to help spruce up the livelihood of your workspace?

Check out these 9 fun and (mostly) useful tech gadgets to add to your work desk!

Android Humidifier
With the dry winter air just around the corner, you’ll want this handy dandy guy around to keep your nose breathing right. Say Hello to the Android Humidifier and your newest desk buddy! One fully loaded humidifier works for 10 hours without a mechanical drive, no noise or pollution and low energy consumption. Bonus plus? Rotate his arms up and it will be like he’s cheering you on all day.

Cable Clips
If your desk looks anything like ours, it most likely has a web of wires collecting on the floor waiting for you to untangle when you happen to need one. Guess what? There’s a very simple solution and extremely affordable fix for that! These adhesive colorful cable clips help keep all your wires organized and ready to use at a moment’s notice.

Desk Cycle
Looking for a way to burn calories and improve your mood while at your desk? You might want to invest in a DeskCycle. Specifically designed to be used in the work environment with its smooth and quiet operation, this convenient equipment is a great workout alternative for those busy work days where you just can’t escape to the gym.

Digital Smart Pen
If you find yourself furiously jotting down every word at meetings or during phone calls, this pen may be the perfect solution. Livescribe’s Echo Smartpen records everything you write and hear, replays your meetings for later review, searches for words within notes, and much more allowing you to actually be present and focused on the meeting at hand. With Wi-Fi accessibility, this is truly note taking of the 21st Century!

Laser Projection Keyboard
Is there anything wrong with your existing keyboard? Probably not, but how much cooler would your desk look with one of these laser projection virtual keyboards! Compatible with your smart phone, tablet or laptop, this device projects a virtual keyboard onto your flat desk surface through Bluetooth technology allowing for not only more space but a futuristic desk sure to turn a few heads.

Play More Notepad
What this next must-have desk item lacks in tech points, it makes up for in creative inner child glory. Notepad paper that looks like a sports ball when crumbled up is just pure genius and an awesome way to add some fun into your workspace. Turn your next brainstorming session into a friendly ball game!

iPhone Handset
Add some retro fun to your desk with this cell phone handset. Compatible with most phones and tablets, this accessory is both functional, charming and perfect for those who use their cell phone as their main work phone, too.

Mug Warmer
Keep your cup of coffee or tea warm throughout the day with this small desk size mug warmer. With a convenient on / off switch, you can enjoy a warm cup of your favorite pick me up any time of the day. Similarly, run a quick search and you can find a beverage chiller to keep your favorite refreshers cool all day as well.

Office Putty
We can name a handful of things on your desk that are a magnet for dust and small debris. This cool Cyber Clean Putty squeezes into the most stubborn and small crevices to pull out last week’s bagel crumbs and office dog hair to reveal a clean and spotless desk.

Jen Huynh – Recruiter Artisan Creative

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Vacation Planning Best Practices

Tuesday, September 9th, 2014|

We asked our team to share their pre- and post-trip planning process. Even though the summer holiday season is over, we hope the following tips help you plan for any time away from the office.

Vacation Planning Best Practices

Be Proactive. Contact clients and key stakeholders a few weeks ahead of time to let them know of your upcoming vacation schedule. This will give everyone an opportunity to address any project needs and plan accordingly.
Status updates. If you are mid-project, or have direct reports, make it a point to meet with your team before leaving and within a day upon your return for status updates.
Prioritize & Delegate. Create a step-by-step process of all pending projects. Prioritize for your team and clearly assign tasks that require a follow-up. Tools like Basecamp make it easy to keeps track of the communication and makes it easy to get caught up when you get back.
OOO. Set your out of office response with the names and contact info of colleagues who will be supporting you while you are away. This alleviates frustration and any lag time for urgent needs.
Inbox planning. Use Rules and Filters to manage your inbox while you are away. Unsubscribe from non-essentials newsletters and notifications or direct them to a specific folder.
Minimize travel day stress. Pack your bags, print out travel itineraries and make sure you’re ready a few days prior to travel so your last working day isn’t affected by any pre travel stress.
Plan your first day back to work before you leave so your expectations are set beforehand. Have your to-do list ready to go!
Tidy your desk & desktop. Coming back to paper or digital clutter is no fun.
Your body and mind need time to recharge. Trust your team to handle urgent issues while you are away.
Have Fun!

Artisan Creative Team

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Team Building Activities Outside the Office

Wednesday, August 27th, 2014|

How often do you spend time with co-workers outside of work? Whether it’s each quarter or each year, team building activities are not only an opportunity to get to know colleagues better and form lasting relationships, it’s also a fun way to explore Los Angeles and San Francisco attractions. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite events. Share your favorite places in the comments!

Paint Nite
Artisan Creative recently spent an evening eating, drinking, and embracing their creativity at Burbank’s Paint Nite. The premise of the evening is to hone your creative skills in a social environment. Armed with paint, brushes, and a canvas, you spend the evening following the direction of an art instructor and painting step-by-step (with oodles of wine). The finished result is rather remarkable and allows an opportunity to create individually and independently while working in a team environment – it’s perfect for all personality types and super fun!

Groundlings
Groundlings is an improvisation and sketch comedy theater based in LA responsible for training a whole host of comedians including Will Farrell and Lisa Kudrow. As a non-profit, they are one of the go-to companies in the country for improv comedy which makes them a great place to spend time with co-workers. The Intro to Improv is a one-day workshop aimed at building confidence and creativity through games and exercises.

The Gentle Barn
The Gentle Barn is an animal paradise and the perfect way to get up close and personal with rescued animals. Their repertoire of animals includes some very relaxed cows, friendly turkeys who love to be cuddled, pigs, llamas, chickens, goats, and horses. Each animal has a history of abuse and was saved by the organization. Based in Santa Clarita, you spend the day learning about each animal by feeding and snuggling. They also have a delicious vegan BBQ and cupcakes.

San Francisco Nerd Night & Los Angeles Nerd Night
A once-monthly event with engaging lectures on a whole range of subjects from 3D printers to crosswords and spacecraft. With beer and grilled cheese sandwiches at hand, the evening is relaxed, informative, and entertaining. Tickets tend to sell out fast so make sure to book in advance! They’ve also just launched a Nerd Night North Bay which you can find here.

Farallones Marine Sanctuary
A non-profit based on the gulf of San Francisco, Farallones Marine Sanctuary is a haven for teams who want to get out of the city for a day and spend time in the great outdoors. They have a whole host of activities including fishing, whale watching, surfing, kayaking, and boating.

Los Angeles Conservancy
LA is steeped with history and beauty but sometimes you just need to know where to find it — that’s where LA Conservancy comes in. They hold regular walking tours with skilled experts who know everything there is to know about LA architecture and culture. Our favorite tours are their Art Deco and Renaissance walks where you can explore the historic downtown areas across the vibrant city.

San Francisco Food Tours
Taking a culinary journey through the heart of San Francisco sounds like our idea of heaven. San Francisco Food Tours takes you to local artisan companies from Little Italy to the oldest bakery in China Town to authentic Western Saloons. There’s something for everyone with these types of tours: delicious coffee, exploring old Beat neighborhoods, and handmade chocolates. They also cater to group bookings of all sizes which is perfect for every company.

Laura Pell | Talent Acquisition | Artisan Creative

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Boost Your Summer Creativity

Wednesday, June 25th, 2014|

Do you feel more or less creative in the summer months? High temperatures and humidity can seem to leach energy and productivity right out of our day. There are, however, some special things about the summer season that we can use to boost creativity if we let them:

Time with family

From K through college, kids are home for the summer and underfoot. But don’t let work stop you from spending some quality time with them–it could actually make you more creative. Let their enthusiasm boost your own and make sure to remember any crazy ideas that come to you during special playtimes.

Travel

A small change of scene can make a big difference, but a big change of scene can do even more. Even the light is different in another country. Be especially present when you are somewhere new and different, take lots of pictures to help you recapture how you felt there, and carry a notepad with you just in case of a brilliant insight.

Relax

We can’t play and travel all summer–sometimes we have to get some work done. “All work and no play…” isn’t a well-known saying for nothing, though. It’s okay to slow down, take breaks and remember why you love to do what you do. We are hardwired to think of summer as a slower season so go ahead and do so. You will probably improve your productivity during working hours.

Try something new

What have you always wanted to learn? Whether work-related or a new hobby, learning something new changes your perspective on the familiar and may spark new solutions to old problems.

My family decided to take a break and vacation right at the beginning of the summer, and now I get to use all that inspiration from traveling with them overseas to rejuvenate my creativity. What are you doing to boost yours?

Wendy Stackhouse, Consultant for Artisan Creative

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Fun in Freelancing

Wednesday, May 7th, 2014|

There are lots of positives about being a freelance creative, but one that often gets overlooked is the fun of starting something new in a new place more often than people with permanent jobs. If you can look beyond the anxiety inherent in lots of “first days,” you can appreciate the great things about new starts:

Make connections–Like to make new friends and network? Short-term freelance jobs let you meet new people often and show them what you can do. You can never meet too many people, especially in your field.

Learn something new–Every project has unique challenges. Embrace them and you can keep learning throughout your career.

Explore neighborhoods–When you work in the same place for a long time, you can get comfortable, but you can also get bored. Ask one of your new friends to walk around with you on your lunch breaks for a few days. You never know what you might find.

Discovering a hole-in-the-wall restaurant or park isn’t the only perk to that walk. We came across a study from Stanford University this week that showed that “walking boosts creative inspiration” by as much as 60%.

So, when you start that new freelance gig, don’t be shy about walking around on breaks or at lunch. Ask your co-workers for the best places in the area to eat or read. Find outdoor spaces you’ve never seen before. You might find yourself an expert on parts of your city no one you know has ever seen, and you might also find it makes you more creative and more successful.

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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Distractions Can Be a Good Thing

Wednesday, April 16th, 2014|

Are you easily distracted? Distractions can work for us–or against us, depending on what we are trying to accomplish and what kind of distractions they are. Here are some pros and cons of distractions and some ways to use them to your advantage:

Your Smartphone:

Notifications interrupt you all day long–Facebook messages, emails from co-workers, texts from your spouse, requests from your manager.

Pros: The communications you receive during your work day from team members, colleagues and managers may be interruptions that clarify the project you are working on or improve collaboration. They could also offer valuable suggestions. These interruptions could improve productivity, rather than damage it.

Cons: Off-topic notifications can disrupt your work flow for no good reason.

Solution: Consider turning off notifications from social media during working hours and let your friends and family know that you will get back to them when you take a break (you are taking breaks, right?). Set up an emergency code with your spouse and children for things that need to be taken care of immediately and let the rest of the personal communications wait a little while.

Email:

An email might be urgent to the sender but not to you.

Pros: Email is a great timesaver–no need to walk over to your colleague’s office to chat about your project every few minutes, email also keeps a good written record for later evaluation of your process.

Cons: All of our Inboxes are filled with emails we will never read or can read after the workday is over. But if we see them, we will click on them.

Solution: Spend some serious time creating filters for your Inbox so that you will see the emails that you need to see right away, but only see the less important missives when you have time to choose.

Wandering Thoughts:

Can’t help them, but you can stop beating yourself up about them.

Pros: Letting your mind wander can lead to creative ideas that might never have occurred to you if you were plugging along, trying to stay on task.

Cons: Letting your mind wander for too long can make you miss your deadline.

Solution: Schedule break times during your workday. Read 10 pages of a novel. Think about what you want to make for dinner. Give yourself time to let your project marinate in the back of your mind instead of the front. You might come up with something truly innovative on that wandering path.

Welcoming distractions is counter-intuitive. Focus is easier to see as a positive. But if you embrace the distractions that work for you, it might improve your work product–and your productivity!

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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Creativity Savings Time

Wednesday, March 5th, 2014|

We will be turning our clocks forward this weekend and although we will have the same amount of light as before, it will land in different places. We started wondering: how does changing the light affect creativity?

Researchers from the University of Hohenheim and the University of Stuttgart recently published a study about this very question. They found that drawings made by study subjects were much more creative if done in dim light than in normal or bright light. Those who worked in dim lights felt “free from constraints.” Creativity was even increased when the study subjects described sitting in a dark room, while actually drawing in normal light.

Dim light was best for idea generation, although it did not have a beneficial effect on implementation–the subjects needed good light to produce quality artwork, but their ideas were more creative when they felt the freedom which came from dim light.

Daylight savings time will add light back into our evenings–not bright light, but maybe just the right light. It will be interesting to observe the difference.

Of course, when my alarm goes off at what my body thinks is 4:30am on Monday, I’m not going to feel very creative, I expect. But I hope I will get a burst of creative energy from the evening light we’ve been missing for so long. New project, here I come!

Do you feel a burst of energy in the spring? Are you driven to start new things? Tell us about it!

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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Artist or Artisan

Wednesday, January 15th, 2014|

Are you an artist or an artisan? Many people are very emotional about how their work is referred to and there are aspects of both for the talent we place at Artisan Creative. As a craftsperson as well as a creative myself, I have thought about it from both points of view.

An “artisan” is traditionally known as someone who uses creativity to make something useful. Ideally, those creations are also beautiful, show innovative design, and function exceptionally well. Are they making art?

An “artist,” on the other hand, creates for pure aesthetics, pure emotions, to make us feel, rather than use. Is art useful?

At their very best, both artists and artisans achieve the goals of the other. When we use a well-designed tool–whether it be a website, a piece of furniture or a skein of yarn–we recognize the beauty in it. We feel its rightness. We enjoy its aesthetic. We create through it for ourselves and others.

When we observe and interact with art, it inspires us to create, to innovate, to help others to feel. We also interact with each other differently, creating relationships based on our shared responses.

To me, artist and artisan are the same, when talent is used to its best potential. We use art to change ourselves and our relationships. We are inspired by using what artisans produce. There is beauty and purity in all good design.

Do you consider yourself an artist or an artisan? How do you define your work?

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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