Interesting Things Designers Can Do With Extra Time

When you are employed in a design company, you surely have rest days and vacations. When you are a freelance designer, for sure you also have some spare time especially when you have finished working on all your projects. All of us have an extra time, although, not all the time.

So, whenever you have it, for sure, you would love to do some things you couldn’t do when you have tons of work.

Maybe you got tired of the getting organized all the time, about brainstorming for every project, about your daily work flow, and about just everything with work. And you suddenly got that extra time one day but you didn’t know what to do for you got used from your daily routine of work, work and work!

In this article, we will give you some interesting ideas to do with your extra time (if you have).

Now, jump in and get to know these.

1. Have a rest.

This is indeed the right time to rest and to take a break from all your daily loads of work. There are different ways of taking a rest. You might just want to lie down and sleep, or you just want to sit in front of your balcony, breathe the fresh air, and just look at some people and vehicles pass by.

Or you can do some thinking while sitting like how you could improve your work, your future goals, and things that you could change.

2. Make new designs.

You already did a lot of designing for your clients but now that you are done with all your projects and you are still waiting for your other jobs, then you can still spend time designing. Make some design artworks. Experiment with effects, textures, fonts and others. Make some new works that you can show your client.

For sure, you will enjoy doing this while learning a lot, too.

3. Express your creativity.

Hone your creativity by sketching, drawing, painting and anything where you can express yourself without using the computer. For sure, you’ll enjoy this and you would be glad to see your wonderful output.

It is always good to do some artworks like this for it is a fulfilling activity that can sharpen your creativity and skills.

4. Read books in design.

Reading couldn’t be done all the time especially if what you are about to read is not that urgent and important. So, you set aside those interesting books and since you are busy all the time, the pile is getting higher and higher.

Well,

you can start reading when you have that extra time. At least, you will get additional knowledge while reading and you will also enjoy doing it.

5. Go out with friends.

You wouldn’t have all the time to go out with friends. When you have an extra time, you can always go out with friends. Chill and have some fun with them. It is always good to laugh with these people and exchange ideas with them.

You can surely be happy if you are with friends. You can do some activities together like shopping, going to movies or you just sit over your favourite snacks and talk just about anything.

6. Listen to calming music.

When you are relaxing, listen to your favourite music. This will give you that good aura and would even lessen stress. Choose the type of music that is relaxing or you choose the music that you really enjoy and love to listen.

It is always good to do this for it can’t just make you feel relaxed but it can also inspire you a lot.

7. Clean up your workspace.

If you are really busy with work and you have so much to finish, then you wouldn’t have the time to arrange, organize and clean your workspace. This is the right time to keep all those clutter.

Your environment would be a lot better if your place is neat and clean. Clean everything from tables to chairs, from lights to computers.

Fix those which need to be fixed.

You can also rearrange your workplace if you want to.

8. Organize your desktop.

Aside from cleaning your workplace, you also need to clean up your computer.Organize your folders so that you wouldn’t be wasting time in searching for files everyday. Copy your files in a CD or DVD. Have an archive of your previous designs.

With this, you will lessen the storage in your computer and would even make it work faster. You’ll find it really helpful if your files are organized.

9. Be involved in sports.

Spending most of your time in front of the computer won’t give you the opportunity to stretch those muscles. But you shouldn’t forget about your health. So, go out and learn some sports like football, basketball, swimming and others.

You can also go to the gym to do some exercise. You can make this a habit even just once a week. You will feel a lot better if you do this.

10. Watch video tutorials.

Well, since designers always want to improve themselves and to learn something new, then it is time for you to watch all those video tutorial you have downloaded in your computer but didn’t have the time to watch. Remember, you have an extra time now.

You can really study all those now and discover new techniques and strategies that can make work a lot easier.

11. Go to creative and inspiring places.

Take time to visit museums, exhibits or attend some workshops and seminars. This way, you meet new people in the industry and you will also get some new ideas from the artworks you will see and from the lectures that you listen to.

This is a great way to spend your extra time.

12. Create organized schedule.

Yes, you have a schedule for your daily work. But you noticed that it isn’t as organized as you want it to be. So, during your extra time, organize your schedule.

You can even make some changes with it so that you will no longer be bored with the previous routine you had.

13. Play games.

It is said that ‘all work and no play makes you a dull person’. Why don’t you have some time to play?

You might have that recent online game or some computer games which you have installed months ago but didn’t get to play it. Play and enjoy it now. It would be relaxing for your brain.

14. Watch movies.

Go to the nearest movie house and watch the recent movie. You can do this with friends. Or you could rent some DVDs and watch them at home while you are munching on your favourite snack. Rent as many movies as you want. Watch those which you always wanted to see but didn’t have the time to.

15. Call it a lazy day!

There is nothing wrong to just sit in the couch and do nothing. Sleep, watch a movie, or just don’t do anything! Avoid doing those usual daily works. Order your favourite pizza and drinks.

Eat your favourite meal while watching your most loved movie. You’ll love this day for sure!

It’s Your Turn Now
Well, isn’t it nice to know that there are interesting things you could do with your free time? There is really a lot of stuff that one could miss if he is so much absorbed with work.

See to it that no matter how busy you are, you still can have an extra time for yourself. So, what do you do with your extra time? Do not hesitate to share to us the exciting things you do. We would love to hear from you!