Nicole Franq

My favorite item in my workspace is my stuffed animal cat by my keyboard. It was a gag gift from my youngest sister and one of the first cat items I got gifted after I adopted my cat Maple. Just sentimental and something fun.

Creativity is one of those things that ebbs and flows for me. Some days I'm super inspired, others I just need to lay on the couch and watch some true crime junk. One way I spark creativity is by watching youtubers in their daily vlogs. I usually follow those who are creative but in a different field than UX like artists, etc. Another way is looking up designs or articles on dribbble and challenging myself to create something using that as inspiration. Another big way is for daily walks outside and just getting away from the computer screen.

I don't believe there is a work-life balance, just life. The pandemic blended that together even more. Within life there's stories or identities that we carry and those don't stop and start at different times of the day. I'm a UX Designer, a content creator, an artist, a sister, etc. I try to block my time but I'm not always the best at following set times. My mornings are usually reserved for focused work, afternoons are for rest, evenings are for meetings and late night is whatever I feel like doing.

Freedom and rest. I worked in an office for many years as an intern, when I worked in finance and finally as a designer. It was horrible, especially as someone who's an introvert and just wants a quiet room and some creature comforts. It was so mentally taxing to go into an office each day. I never ever have lived close to my workplace either. The hour plus long commutes drained me to the point of not wanting to work and just go home. Now I get that space I need to create and think without worrying about commutes, what I look like that day, and who's peeping at my screen when I just need to look at photos of puppies for some mindless time.