The creative process is never an easy road if you think of the myriad factors the designer has to consider when engaging in the design process. No wonder how sometimes we may find ourselves with what I call “Designer’s Syndrome”. It is that feeling one experiences when facing a blank page, the design possibilities are infinite, but the constraints are even broader. Just think about all the materials one can use, the combination of juxtaposition of volumes, the intersection of lines, the kaleidoscopic choices of colors and textures. All these factors have to be well-balanced not only within the context of a visual, functional and technical composition, but also the final product has to fit into the budget and clients’ expectations.

I remember my times of Architecture and Industrial Design School, and I certainly won’t forget the panicking times in the beginning of my career, when I would lose my sleep when approaching a deadline or presentation meeting. Neuroscience has allowed us to map our brains, tracking down our moods and even the path of our feelings, but I am still intrigued by how easy the creative process is for some people, while so difficult for others.

So, after all these years as an Architect, I have learned one thing: when the creative process starts, there is an internal mechanism that keeps doing the work for you. While you sleep, during a meeting, under the shower. Then one day, “serendipitly”, the combination of factors takes form, scale and depth. It is then that I take a step back, take a deep breath, and enjoy my creations. Somebody has to….