The Update

That’s how I remember that day. The office was quiet when I walked in. How much I worshipped that place! It felt like a temple to me. A place filled with creativity and craft to do magic every day. Everyone seemed focused, even as rumors whispered through the air. I sat at my desk, trying to concentrate while a gentle anxiety washed over me. I couldn’t help but wonder how this would change our future. My desk was beside my manager’s, where I could watch people come and go, stopping to chat with him. He was usually funny and cheerful, the kind of person who lit up the room. But that day, he was different. Silent.

Hours passed. Then his eyes shifted toward the far end of the hall. I followed his gaze and saw an art director coming our way. Then he stopped. A simple nod. That was all it took, as if he were saying it was time.

A heavy silence filled the room, thick with unspoken grief. By then, it was no longer a rumor. People glanced at their phones, faces heavy with sorrow. Tears rolled down my face. My manager looked somber, turned to his keyboard, and began to type. The team had prepared for this inevitable moment.

In a few strokes, the homepage updated.

On the big screen, the words appeared:

Steve Jobs

1955–2011

Apple Infinite Loop (2011)

Lunch Break

lunchbreaks.png

I joined Google as a User Experience Designer in February of 2019. I was thrilled to have finally made it and ever so excited to be surrounded by all these talented and smart people. From the first day I got busy studying the new materials, reading endless documents, and connecting with other teams and designers.

Once I got settled, I found myself seeking new creative inspiration in my daily routine. I committed to spending fifteen minutes of my lunch breaks sketching people. People in their daily settings have always been my ideal subjects, and I had plenty of them at Google. From where I worked on the second floor balcony, I had a wide view onto an open concrete field below. Three buildings formed an inviting square that became my little hunting ground for new subjects. Every day around noon I grabbed my sketchbook and sharpies, sat there and observed people. Some were rushing to meetings, some were waiting for free lunches in line at the food trucks. I was discovering new patterns in their postures while doing my speed sketching practices. I relished every moment of those short breaks away from work. It was a rewarding experience. It helped me reconnect with my surroundings and find my inner peace and let go. For me sketching has always been a form of meditation, a way to stay centered and present.

When I packed up from Google a few months later, I had a sketchbook full of speed drawings. During that time, I nourished my inner creativity and improved my craft, and my drawing skills got better. I felt content and fulfilled throughout the experience. All I needed to do was to trust myself and to look for inspiration, to show up and to keep the momentum going. Regardless of how small or silly an idea might sound, that’s how you find the “uplifting force” and boost your creativity. The rest will always take care of itself. And if you are lucky, sometimes it could turn into a “Big Magic”.

To my surprise, that little personal art project – completely unrelated to my work – turned out to be the most favorite memory of my time at Google. That, and of course the ice cream machine.