The discovery phase is over. The strategy is in place. All the meetings have come and gone. Now what? How do you get started with a new design project? You have all the ammunition, except for maybe the main ingredient – motivation. Can you turn the creativity off and on at the drop of a hat? Or do you need some sort of motivation to get you in the mood?

Some people fire up the computer and dive right in. Perhaps because the budget is tight an things need to get done "yesterday". While other grab a sketchbook and brain dump their ideas on paper – savoring the creative process and meticulously working out every fine detail.

For me, it's a little of both. However, the thing that gets me in the mood at the beginning of a project is the uncertainty of what will come. Whether I start sketching, or jump right on the computer, the thought of creating something from scratch, nurturing an idea, and applying that concept so that my client will benefit in some way is what really motivates me.

How about you? How do you turn on the creativity? What motivates you?