The Beauty of Slow Work and Life
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about our work pace. I have been hit by acute burnout and slow work, and life was the only option for moving forward.
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We live in a world that rewards speed. Faster delivery, faster content, faster decisions. And yet, some of the most fulfilling moments in my work – and life – have come from doing things slowly.
Not sluggishly. But intentionally.
With thought, with care, and with space to feel what I’m creating.
Reading Robin Sharma’s The Wealth Money Can’t Buy brought this home for me again. He talks about true wealth not as something you earn, but something you live: peace, purpose, creativity, stillness. And none of that comes from rushing.
What Slow Work Feels Like
Slow work doesn’t mean doing less. It means doing the right things in a way that feels grounded.
For me, that might look like:
- Taking a walk before I open my laptop, letting ideas breathe before they land.
- Permitting myself to focus on one task without multitasking.
- Saying no to “fast content” so I can build something that’s meaningful.
It feels like working with my nervous system, not against it.
It’s calm. It’s kind. It’s human.
The Pleasure of Manual Work
One thing I’ve noticed is how satisfying it is to use my own brain and hands.
What a weird thing to say 🙂 Yes, I love tools and automation, and I use AI often. But I try not to let it replace the part of me that loves thinking things through on paper, sketching messy drafts, or rearranging post-its until a story emerges.
When I write something from scratch or build a moodboard without shortcuts, I feel more connected to the work. There’s a kind of quiet joy that comes from not outsourcing your intuition. The same with client work. I want to serve humans as a human.
It’s not always the most efficient way. But it’s often the most rewarding.
Slow Design Is Emotional Design
Slow design is an extension of that. It’s about creating things that hold meaning, not just things that get likes.
It means:
- Choosing a palette because it feels right, not just because it’s trending.
- Creating layouts that guide people emotionally, not just logically.
- Letting your brand evolve organically, instead of forcing it into a box.
- In design, AI can create beautiful things out of logic. But NOT out of the subconscious mind. And there is a huge difference.
Doing the creative parts manually, design becomes less about performance and more about connection.
Some Things I Try to Practice (Most Days)
Here are a few habits that help me slow down — even when life is busy:
- One deep work block a day
No emails, no tabs. Just focused on creation time. - Trusting the pauses
If something feels stuck, I don’t push. I step away and come back later. - Less but better
I remind myself I don’t need to be everywhere, post every day, or do everything at once. - Making space for manual thinking
I sketch, write with a pen, or just sit with ideas before I jump into tools.
A Gentle Reminder
If you’ve been feeling rushed or scattered lately, maybe it’s not that you’re unproductive.
Maybe you’re just not designed to move at the speed the world expects.
Maybe what you need isn’t a new system, but permission to slow down.
Not forever. Just enough to remember who you are and what kind of work you actually want to create.
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It’s my way of inviting more slowness, beauty, and creative confidence into your everyday work.
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More Inspiration
How To Choose The Right Brand Designer
Brand Anatomy – What Is It, And What Are Its Key Elements?
What is Visual Branding and How It Can Help Your Business
And read all about the psychology of colors in logos and branding.
Last Updated on 16/05/2025 by Victoria Silber
