Productivity Hacks

Productivity Hacks brought to you by SOURCED

Whether you’re working from home in your sweatpants or in a dedicated office space, we’ve all had those moments, days or even weeks when the struggle to focus is real!

No matter what type of industry or position you’re in, we all have calls to make, meetings to host, places to be, multiple project deadlines, and an email inbox that rarely (if ever) gets to that 0 unread point. So when time is money and it's time to focus, how can we stay focused to maximize our productivity & work efficiently?

I asked this question to the SOURCED community where #radpeoplework, and received a motherload of valuable tips and tools to set your work days up for success.

Here are some of our favorite Productivity Hacks from the SOURCED. crew:

Turn the Notifications Off!

Yeah, limiting distractions can be easier said than done- but did you know that every distraction can cost you 30 minutes!? (according to The Muse). So when you need to get in the zone, that means shutting off anything that can take you off track - even if just for a minute.

Here are some ways to help stop common distractions:

1. Turn on a daily social media limit via the “screen time” application on your phone

2. Delete social media apps off your phone completely until your work is done

3. Turn off all notifications or silence your phone so you won’t be distracted by texts from friends

4. Place your phone completely out of sight - if you can’t completely shut your phone off during the work day, placing it out of sight will help keep interruptions out of sight but allow you to still hear it if it starts ringing

Embrace a Tidy Space

When you walk through SOURCED and notice the blank desk spaces, open shelving and organizing containers - know this set-up is not just for the cute decor, it’s to create a productive place to work!

Here’s what we recommend to create a productive work space:

1. Keep your desk space tidy & decluttered - with less objects in your surroundings you’re less likely to get distracted!

2. Add some inspiring energy to your workspace with some plants, a nice view or decor that represents your creativity and personality! Just make sure it doesn’t add clutter.

3. If you’re like me and have not been able to create this kind of space at your main desk, then move to your favorite coworking space or cafe, and don’t leave until you’ve finished all the work you need to get done!

Work that Work Schedule

If you have the freedom to control your schedule, it’s easy to just not have a set schedule then. However, for the team at SOURCED, we’ve found that we are most productive when we actually do set a standard routine or set time batches - at least for the days when we need to stay productive.

Here’s how you can set a schedule:

1. Start work at the same time everyday

2. Schedule blocks by the hour or even by the day to focus on a specific project or set of tasks.

3. Put these time blocks on your calendar! Unless it’s on your calendar, it's basically imagery.

Give it a break!
To keep your full focus and energy, you need to take dedicated (aka. planned) breaks throughout the day. Reaching burnout or fatigue is not going to help you stay productive.

This is how we break up our days at SOURCED:

1. Take a walk

2. Eat! Don’t work through your lunch or snack breaks, instead use this time to shut off for a bit

3. Dance party!

4. Journaling

Truth: As you can see, we all work a little bit differently and it may take some trial and error to see what productivity hacks will work best for you - so the next time you’re unable to focus, give one of our SOURCED hacks a try and get back in your productivity groove!

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Written by Nicole Prybula.

Nicole is a Corporate Event Producer that loves turning a standard business meeting into an impactful brand experience that attendees fall in love with. If Nicole isn't soaking up inspiration working with her co-workers at Sourced, it's because she's traveling and working from a cafe on the other side of the world. Find her online at www.cultivatedexperiences.com and follow her adventures on Instagram at @cultivatedexperiences

My Art Residency at SOURCED + Why Programs Like This Are Essential for Emerging Artists

Resident Artist Devon Walz, 2019

When I walked into Sourced for the first time and met Michelle and the studio manager, Jaclyn, I was on the nervous side. Talking about my art and meeting new people has never been the most comfortable for me.

But the first thing I noticed was how warm and welcoming they were. How adorable and love-filled the space was. And how much they were genuinely interested in my story and excited to create an event that would celebrate the series of work I’d spent so long working on.

I felt instantly at home and this really set the tone for the two months I would spend as the artist in residence here.

Before applying to the program, I was feeling lost about my next steps as an artist. I had a body of work almost completed that I felt proud of, but I didn’t know where or how I would show it.

I had an active online presence and did okay selling my work here and there, but I felt isolated in my day-to-day experience. I didn’t know how to plug into my local community or gain any more traction beyond what I was already doing.

I wanted to start actually being an artist in spaces other than my little art studio and my own online platform. I was craving support, community and growth.

The residency at Sourced gave me exactly that.

During my time here, not only did I get to have my first solo show during Art Walk (which was crazy fun and SO well put together thanks to the imaginative Sourced team), but I was supported in the specific ways I was looking grow.

I was given guidance as to how to start reaching out to related businesses in the community, which helped me get way more comfortable building connections. And I nailed a studio visit as a result!

I was able to do a mural on site with total trust and creative freedom (thanks Michelle!). This was a dream come true and added incredible value to my portfolio. The project also opened up a ton of inspiration and big ideas for me-- it may have been my favorite part!

And I made some amazing friends through it all.

Mural by Devon Walz during her artist residency at SOURCED.

If you’re an artist, you probably already know that the opportunity for a solo show is a big deal.

But what’s an even bigger deal is finding a group of people to support you, cheer you on, encourage your creative ideas, help you brainstorm and introduce you to a friend of a friend who needs a custom piece or who has a space to show some work.

Relationships are your most valuable asset as a developing artist.

But they can also feel the most daunting to build when you have no idea where to start or who to talk to.

This is where programs like the residency at SOURCED. are providing something SO important for emerging artists: a place to root into and grow outward from.

I can honestly say that I feel so much more confident in my place as a local artist after my time here.

If you’re a local artist who’s feeling stagnant like I was, I hope you’ll apply to this program. It will push you to get your body of work together, give you an opportunity to meet some lovely new people and propel you forward in your next steps.

As a past resident who’s stayed on board with the community (because I couldn’t imagine leaving it!), I’ll be SO excited to meet you, grab a coffee and chat about all things art.

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Written by Devon Walz. In addition to being a content creator for Sourced, Devon is mixed media fine artist and art educator. When she isn’t dreaming up new topics for the Sourced blog or chatting away with her co-workers, you can probably find her covered in paint and jamming out in her Santa Ana art studio. Find her on Instagram @devonwalzart and online at www.devonwalz.com.

May Pop Up Market!

Our May Pop Up was all about macarons, coconuts, and so many new friends!

No shortage of thoughtful handmade gifts for Mom (or yourself ;) at our last Pop Up Market this past Saturday, May 12th! Jaclyn of Yellow & Lace lead our free DIY craft bar with these adorable yarn heart cards we found on Pinterest. I loved seeing everyone, of all ages, tap into their inner creative child and exploring play. I couldn't help but feel warm thinking of all the handmade cards and love notes that went out into the world after this special day. 

Set up outside was OC Ecodesigns with a variety of metal succulent & floral arrangements of all shapes and sizes! The patina on these pieces are so beautiful and had me thinking they must only get more attractive with age. 

Husband & wife team, Maison Esperluette were a total hit with their incredible French macarons with flavors like Chocolate Raspberry Chambord, Piña Colada, and Lavender - they had 12 different flavors in total, absolutely impossible to pick a favorite. 

Coco Vinny of Coco Taps set the island vibe with his ukulele serenades & freshly tapped natural coconuts. He demonstrated his coconut opening tool on our vintage tiki bar like he did on Shark Tank & everyone was blown away by this Eco Inventor's mission to change the world, one tapped coco at a time! 

Inside was Yuwei from Yuwei Designs who displayed her newest Spring jewelry collection straight from Bali, and Bama from Sixth & Co. debuted her newest custom lined sarape jackets. The perfect added layer for a beach day with one of their killer all-in-one blanket beach bags they're famous for!

It was the first Pop Up for Jess of Ox and Nag and she transformed the space with her newest collection of desert jewel tone macrame pieces; from plant hangers, coasters, to intricate backdrops. It was great to finally put a face to the name with Abbie Naber, of A. Naber Design, known for her instagram swoon worthy interior design projects. She popped up with her handmade pillows & the softest vintage textile and sherpa blankets you've ever felt.

Joining us again was our Laguna neighbor, Andrea from Laguna Herbals, with her full line of beauty & skincare using only the highest quality natural and organic ingredients.  All of Laguna Herbals' ingredients are plant or mineral based and ditch any harmful or questionable chemicals found in most commercial beauty products.

Robert Brink of The Hundredth Acre, had his 100% soy wax candles handpoured here in Laguna. It's standard that he's usually the first one here setting up for the day with a pipping hot tea & lights one of his candles within minutes of putting the first box down. We love him and the scent memories his candles are telling here. 

Alex of Vibe Catchers was purposely set up right by the window allowing the afternoon sun to dance across her feng shui inspired pieces. We learned more about these impressive crystal & sacred geometry adornments as equal parts healing tools and spiritual art mementos. We all loved hearing each story of all the different pieces. 

We met Kristy of Mountain Gypsea for the first time and loved learning more about her eco-friendly jewelry. I was enchanted by her tale of pursuing her desire to downsize, ditching her 9 to 5 gig, and driving out west to California to follow her passion of starting her own jewelry line out of the back of her Subaru. So inspiring. We truly do attract the most incredible people.

We look forward to our next event on Saturday, June 16th! We hope you'll join us, friends!

We host these Pop Up Markets monthly here at our Laguna Beach studio. If you're interested in joining us as a vendor, you can find out more information here. 

SOURCED. four year anniversary party!

F O U R   Y E A R S   Y O U N G.

We landed on a Speakeasy theme for our 4 year Anniversary party this year. Invitations were a collaborative effort between Ali Rybczyk and Eddie Rios and were sent to 50 plus past & present officemates and close friends that have called SOURCED. home. 

Guests received digital e-vites and were given individual prohibition slang "passwords" for entry.  They were told to dress up in their best glad rags. Our grifter doorman took post at our 1920's cottage ushering guests in with a stern look and asked for their password. 

Guests then were told about the gambling table rules ($2 bill hands at Left, Right, Center) & tattoo parlor (with temporary tattoos from Tattly, the only way to get re-entry into the party was by showing your ink).

Ali Rybczyk painted a larger than life cocktail menu to showcase the Bootlegger Cocktails offered by Vacation Bar & Ford's Gin. Guests had the option of three sassy gin cocktails served in vintage glassware, which paired nicely with bluesy melodies spun by DJ Nacor ranging from Nina Simone to Blood Orange and Toto. 

Marty McFly with Ford's Gin, Bianco Vermouth, Orange Bitters, 

Balm So Hard with Ford's Gin, Blessed Booch Elderflower & Lemon Balm, Lemon, Sparkling Wine

Son of a Bee Sting with Ford's Gin, Lemon, Honey, Ginger, Rosewater

Photographer Mitch Maher turned one of our office nooks into a portrait den capturing the smiles of the people we love so dearly. 

Our pitched roof was washed in shades of pink, yellow, and purple as guests mixed and mingled. It wasn't long until everyone was under the influence of the giggle water and stomping away on the dance floor. The night ended up with impromptu speech, happy tears, a last dance to Fleetwood Mac's "Gypsy"...well and THEN a serenade of "my neck, my back". Because well...that's just us. 

Thank you to everyone that joined us for this special night!

SOURCED. turned 2! Anniversary Party Recap

TWO YEARS YOUNG! Thank you to everyone that joined us for our Anniversary Party this year. It was such a great evening connecting with our local community and sharing how we've grown. Each creative made their own specialty cocktail or beverage to share, there was beer pong sponsored by The Neighborhood Journal, and our collaborative Spotify playlist that had us swaying all night.  We were lucky enough to close out the evening with special performance from Tim Schou (Danish POP STAR, Tim Schou? - I know, how did we pull that off!?!?) and Steve Orlick turned our back kitchen into a Chinese take out restaurant making noodles to go. Some of us may or may not have ended the night by taking a midnight dip in the ocean & a Justin Bieber dance off until the wee hours. Cheers to YEAR 3!

Creative Profile Picture Workshop - recap

We hosted our first Creative Profile Picture Workshops on August 29th - and had an absolute BLAST! We created this workshop to be able to gather with more creatives & capture them on film with a unique perspective - hopefully giving their clients, customers, and the digital world at large an inside look at their personal brand & what gets them out of bed in the morning. 

We know first hand how important is it to have the best representation of yourself for the world to see. When you are in the business of selling yourself, your brand, your services - you want someone to meet you with the ease that they already know you, what your about, and confident that you'll be able to do the job. We strongly believe that one huge mistake some creatives make is shying away from the fact you will need to put yourself out there, your face, your voice,  and your passion to be recognized as the expert your selling yourself to be. As this path changes, grows, and shifts - so will be the content & imagery you put out there. 

Being a collective workspace with two in house photographers - we've had the luxury to work together and create imagery & content that speaks to us and who we are, as individuals as well as like-minded creatives working side by side. We understand that you might not be comfortable in front of the camera - HECK, US EITHER! But we want to capture the real you, the beauty behind what you've set out to do, and share your story! 

Join us for our next workshop in October or contact us about setting up a session at your workspace or shop!

All photography by Rebecca Judy and Stephen Orlick for #CreativeProfilePictureWorkshop at SOURCED.

Business captured:

The Neighborhood Journal, Curio Huntress, ICD Green, and Elysha Mcmurtry Photography.

SOURCED. summer wrap up // LAGUNA!

Our newest office mates - The Neighborhood Journal did a fantastic job of SHOWING us their Summer in Laguna! Nothing like home. I love also how different our studio looks after all the work we put in this summer. Cheers to Fall and what the holidays have in store!