Inside Nomadic

Creating Together, Apart

Let’s just say it: things are pretty weird right now. In just a few days, we’ve gone from “business as usual” to full self-quarantine mode. As Nomads, we’re pretty good at working remotely. But this extended time apart is giving this Art Director/Copywriter team some separation anxiety. So, we’re doing what we do best: brainstorming! 

Here’s a few ways we’re making the best of working together, but apart:

1. Mood

Jon Hamm on NBC’s Saturday Night Live Digital Short: The Curse, 01/30/10

Listening to your inner monologue all day can be exhausting (that is, if you even have one, but we’ll save that for another blog). Find something more interesting to listen to and share it with your creative partner. After all, a playlist that slaps will snap you right out of a quarantine daze! May we suggest COVID-19 on Spotify? 

2. Environment

Aziz Ansari in NBC’s Parks and Recreation via Gfycat

Your bed is literally in the next room. The dog is begging for a snuggle sesh. It’s a trap! Don’t fall for it. Create a dedicated work space and plan out the parts of your day you can control. Schedule breaks in your day for coffee and lunch, and remind your creative partner to do the same! If you have a pupper, lucky you! That floof is your built-in reminder to go for a walk and get some fresh air.

3. Sustenance

Kermit the Frog via Rachel Noyes

What’s for lunch? Depending on how the day’s going, we agreed that there are really only two options:

1. 1. Eat a damn vegetable and hydrate. Good ideas don’t come from undernourished, dehydrated brains.
   2. Feed the creative beast. Eat what you really want because nobody will even know! Our inner hermits are loving Postmates non-contact deliveries and justifying the cost because we’re supporting local eateries. Sauce is a favorite at the Agency, so delivery from there makes life feel more normal.

4. Entertainment

brend rambo, imgflip

Something we both tend to agree on is when a meme is ???. These are some of our fave relatable accounts that are helping us get by:

• Dong Draper
• Fart Director
• Influencers in the Wild

5. Reality Check

Fox’s King of the Hill via REACTION GIFS

We’ve made a pact. We’re not doing the “getting ready for work” thing. Someone very productive once said that it’s important to get fully dressed when working from home. Our theory: creative ideas come quicker when you’re wearing an elastic waistband. But hey, we’re creatives, not psychologists.

6. Sanitizer

Amy Poehler in NBC’s Parks and Recreation via Reddit

Here’s a fun DIY activity to do while you’re cooped up: Make your own hand sanitizer! This recipe for “strong” hand sanitizer is from Nomadic’s Associate Motion Designer/Editor, Kara. Just combine:

1. 2/3 cup rubbing alcohol* (70% or higher) *Not Titos
2. 2 tablespoons aloe vera
3. 1 tablespoon fractionated coconut oil (optional for moisturizing)
4. 20 drops essential oils of choice

7. Fun Game

Clockwise from top: Christine Taylor, Shelley Long, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Paul Sutera, Jesse Lee Soffer, Gary Cole, Olivia Hack and Jennifer Elise Cox in Paramount Pictures’ The Brandy Bunch Movie

Pretend you’re a dystopian Brady Bunch during video conference calls.

8. Caffeine

Fox’s Futurama via REACTION GIFS

Make a Cafe BonBon at home and embrace your inner “moody creative.”

How to Make a Cafe BonBon, AKA Nomad fuel:

1. Find the fanciest, tiniest glass or mug you own.
2. Make a shot of espresso.
3. Find the ONLY can of sweetened condensed milk left in our post-apocalyptic world and drizzle in two tablespoons.
4. Knock it back and repeat the process as needed, or until you transcend time and space.

9. Productivity

Jim Carrey in Universal Pictures’ Bruce Almighty via IMGUR

Collab on an article for the agency blog.

No agency blog? Turn to your personal journal or whatever.

10. Zen

Jared Leto

Meditation may help you block out the sound of the landscapers right outside your window. We cannot personally verify this, but it seemed to work for Jared Leto.