“The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul.” Dieter F. Uchtdorf

The creative juices have been flowing at ABDA Design as more of the team have been enjoying their creativity days. Ensuring team members book days off for creativity is actively encouraged and we love seeing the different ways the team use their time. Sam and Anabel recently enjoyed taking part in a pottery painting class. At the start of the day, they were able to choose from a variety of pre-made clay objects before having a painting tutorial. It was then over to them to be as creative as they wanted with their own designs.

Inspiring designs

There was a lot of inspiration in the pottery studio itself, from previous works to a Pinterest page to help the painters look for ideas. Anabel chose to paint a spoon rest, as she loves cooking and wanted to decorate something that she would actively use. She reflected back on a trip to Italy last year which inspired her design, and she loved being able to experiment with a different medium she wouldn’t normally use in her day to day job. She told us: “It was more challenging than you might think as you don’t know exactly how the paints will transfer after burning the clay in the kiln. We felt very relaxed whilst painting and weren’t thinking about our to do lists.”

The science behind crafting

We love how Anabel and Sam chose to do something craft based. Scientific studies have shown that tactile sensations can light up areas of the brain that are associated with creativity and problem solving. Touch can also arouse emotions and improve mood and mindset. Hands on experiences provide a way for individuals to express and explore their creativity so this was a great choice of activity.

In a relevant literature review, Stuckey and Nobel (2010) highlighted that participation in art activities including painting is linked to improved mood and cognitive function.

Another study which was published in 2015 Alexander Schlegel and eight others at Dartmouth College, USA and Beijing Normal University, China, looked at the impact of visual art on behaviour and changes in brain activity. They discovered that a group of undergraduate students who were given introductory painting or drawing lessons showed improved creative thinking compared to students who were taking introductory organics chemistry classes.

Exploring architecture

Once the painting workshop was complete, the duo went to Harrods to look at the incredible architecture and amazing interiors. Anabel said “The food hall and Prada café stood out from everything else. I felt so inspired by the Prada café as it was a design risk that in my opinion paid off. Not many designers use one colour to decorate the interior and they used it everywhere; it was very impactful and unusual. Seeing this has definitely inspired me to take a different approach within future designs.”

Future creativity

When it came to choosing how to spend the day, Anabel chose this as she has always loved painting and wanted to remind herself of something she liked doing as a child. Thinking back to a memorable travel experience helped her to relax too. She found the day was beneficial as it allowed her to disconnect and do something creative which can be hard if you are working on a particularly technical project. It has already encouraged her to think about different ways she could spend future creativity days.