By Nick Kugge

Time to waste

24 sacred hours. There isn’t a day at SCA when you aren’t running out of this precious currency. Luckily the school doesn’t only teach you advertising but also how to make the most out of your time.

Early on through the course we get introduced to some productivity hacks. However, we only get to appreciate the value of these techniques as awards creep up… Calendar alerts, collaborative platforms and other time management tools then become a necessity.

The problem when you have such an organized day is that it leaves hardly any time to wonder. If some aspects of the creative process require some focus and collaboration, others need calm and relaxation. You’re indeed often on your own, having a shower or cleaning the dishes when the Eureka moment strikes. It’s during these breaks that your unconscious brain does the hard work and puts the pieces together.

As clients don’t yet bill hours of “wonder”, “strolls” or “showers” you need to stretch your day even more to get your daily fix of “free thinking”.

Following is a list of everyday activities where your brain is more likely to poop some gold:

• Peeling vegetables (potatoes highly recommended)
• Cutting your nails
• Listening to the radio (preferably with boring conversations)
• Embrace your messy flatmates and do their washing-up
• Gardening, get yourself a cactus
• Taking a different bus route
• Watching gold fishes or pigeons

So remember doing nothing is not a waste of your time.