Design projects often get stretched out over the course of weeks or months, and it’s not uncommon for the source of this extension to be pixel pushing, minor color differences, or debates of 12pt vs 14pt type.

While this in-depth scrutiny is an important part of being a designer, sometimes it can get a bit stale. In the midst of a handful of “stale” projects, I decided to start a short exercise every morning for a month: 10 minutes, a blank illustrator file, no subject. It became an energizing way to start each day and a great sharpening of toolkit. Here is a handful of the results.