Our Artists: Why creativity doesn’t end after work hours

• Our Artists is a monthly Admind series about creativity beyond client work
• We start with Arek Haratym, who’s been with Admind since 2017
• His personal postcard series shows how small, analog projects can rebuild creative energy
• This article answers why after-hours creativity matters, what it gives back, and how it influences professional work

What is Our Artists and why did we create it?

Our Artists is a space for creativity that exists outside briefs, deadlines, and job titles.
At Admind, we work with designers, strategists and creators, but many of them continue creating long after the workday ends. Not for clients and not for awards. Simply because they need to make something.

We created this series to:

• show what creativity looks like when no one is asking for it,
• give space to personal, imperfect, experimental work,
• and remind ourselves (and others) that creative energy doesn’t end at 5 PM.

Once a month, we introduce one Admind artist and the work they create beyond the brief.

Who is Arek Haratym and why did we start with him?

Arek Haratym is a Senior Graphic Designer who has been part of Admind since 2017. That’s quite impressive, isn’t it?
He joined the agency after working on the ABB account and moved to Admind together with his longtime friend and colleague Jędrzej Chojnacki. Arek is a graduate of Applied Engineering at AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków and as surprising it is we believe that  his background stands for his structured yet experimental approach to design.

We chose Arek to open the series because his personal work reflects something many creatives experience but rarely talk about openly: creative friction.

“It’s a constant struggle to overcome the gap between what I envision and what I can realistically achieve.”
Arek Haratym

That honesty (and the work that comes out of it) is exactly what Our Artists is about.

What is Arek’s postcard project really about?

It’s a personal response to creative fatigue built through connection, humour and constraint.

In the videos accompanying the posts on our Instagram, Arek talks about a series of postcards he created for his colleagues at Admind. Each postcard:

• is designed for one specific person,
• includes a personal reference or inside joke,
• and exists as a small, self-contained creative exercise.

From the outside, they look playful and minimal. In practice, they function as:

• a way to keep creating when motivation is low,
• a tool for sharpening observation and typographic thinking,
• and a reminder that design can be intimate and human, not only strategic.

This is first-hand creative practice and not theory, not trend commentary, but lived experience inside a creative organization.

Interview: Arek Haratym on creating, struggle, and craft

How would you describe yourself as a creator in one sentence?

Gosh, I don’t know, nothing snappy comes to my mind. I’m a designer first and foremost and I wouldn’t even consider myself an artist. It’s a loaded term.

How does creating make you feel emotionally or mentally?

Drained, but ultimately satisfied. It’s a constant struggle to overcome the gap between what I envision and what I can realistically achieve in a reasonable amount of time.

What inspires your work the most?

A little bit of everything. If I had to choose, I would say that the people in my everyday life are the most important factor in my work.

Do you have a favourite theme, technique, or material?

In terms of visuals, I like geometric patterns combined with a DIY aesthetic, typographic elements, and a crude sense of humour. I primarily use digital techniques, but making an effort to work more with pen, paper, and scissors.

Do you create intuitively, or do you plan everything in advance?

It depends. With postcards, for example, I freely explore different ideas. When it comes to posters, I try to do some research first.

How does your artistic practice influence the way you work at Admind?

It breaks up the routine and, over time, helps you to understand the craft better.

Does creating help you slow down or recharge?

None of the above, really. It’s about the creative process, constant learning, and overcoming struggles. I find that satisfying. And if you can make someone smile in the end, even better.

What would you say to someone who wants to start creating but feels hesitant?

What’s stopping you and why is it so important? If you want to do it, you just do it. Find a topic, a technique or a routine that suits you and start working.

Why does this matter for brands and creative teams?

Because creative work doesn’t thrive on efficiency alone.

From our experience at Admind – working with multidisciplinary teams and long-term brand systems – we see clearly that:

• personal creative practice improves craft awareness,
• small side projects help break routine and burnout cycles,
• and teams that are encouraged to create beyond briefs bring more depth back into client work.

Arek’s postcards are a mini case study in how constraints + personal meaning can unlock new energy. Without pressure, KPIs, or deliverables.

What can you take from this as a creator?

If you’re stuck, tired, or uninspired:

• don’t wait for a big project,
• don’t look for permission,
• don’t aim for outcomes.

Start small. Start personal. Start imperfect.

That’s not a complete solution; creativity is always more complex but it’s a proven starting point.

What’s next in Our Artists?

This is only the beginning.
Each month, we’ll introduce another Admind artist and the work they create after hours – with their own process, doubts, methods, and motivations.

Follow the series, explore the projects, and start something of your own!