The concept of ‘Blue Monday’, the so-called most depressing day of the year, is at its heart a marketing positioning for a travel brand. Such is the power of marketing to create a compelling narrative that it can cement in consumer consciousness that it is not only socially acceptable to despise January, it’s expected.

Yet while brands have ditched the ‘New Year, New You’ messaging in pursuit of more mindful positionings, the New Year brings with it a genuine opportunity for doing things differently.

None of us are passengers in our careers. It’s ok to find dark mornings and dark nights challenging. Yet we can all create habits to better drive our creative thinking and curiosity that are both aspirational and accessible. January does not have to be a creative dumpster fire. With the unexpected in mind in the second part of our series we asked industry leaders how they are finding their creative light this month?

New year, new stuff, new shiny, new new.

But not for me.

I'm off dumpster diving. Well not quite diving in dumpsters but definitely fishing in lesser visited parts of the river.

This January is all about those boxes you find inside, or, more often than not, outside shops. You know the ones, scribbled on with marker pen, 'Everything £1' or their freebie cousin, 'please help yourself'. The class rejects.  The things that have slipped to almost zero commercial value.

Yes, it's a patient lucky dip, and you fish out a lot of rusty bikes, but it can reward the magpie in all of us.

We're talking misinterpreted books, odd CDs, lovingly attempted but homeless zines, records not cool enough to be re-sold for £25 in the charity shop.

These items are no longer belle of the ball, or perhaps never got dressed up in the first place.  But we're looking for hidden bits. Diamonds buried pretty deeply in the rough.  Even just a single song or picture hidden at the back.

Magma in Covent Garden occasionally gives magazines away for free. Normally going for £15+, you can walk out with armfuls like a helpful shoplifter. The only thing missing is their covers.  It's weird isn't it. Devalued in a flash. But without the hefty price tag it instead becomes a bit of a free hit.

Yes, you can judge pretty much anything by its cover. But this January I'm trying to resist that as much as possible.

Many years ago, I visited a town in the north of Norway in the winter. There was hardly any daylight, and at noon the sun was still so low in the sky it lit it up orange like a sunset. But despite the winter cold, snow, and darkness, the school children still cross country ski every day. They bundle up (there's no bad weather, just bad clothing, as they say) and there are lit paths for them through the woods. I think about this a lot in the winter—how even at its darkest and coldest, these kids are outside, together, moving, getting fresh air. That’s where I’m getting my inspiration from this winter: the community I nurture and create, the interactions I have every day, and my gratitude for both. I look to people, conversations, and IRL design, whether that’s time with my team on a printing press, poring over a design book with a colleague, or just chatting about ideas with a friend over a drink.

January is celebrated as a time for big, transformative goals—a fresh start with ambitious visions for the year ahead. While that’s certainly inspiring, I’ve found that some of the most profound motivation comes from smaller, more human moments—away from screens in conversations and shared experiences.

Face-to-face interactions have a way of sparking creativity in the most unexpected ways. At Saffron, we hold regular sharing sessions—inside and outside of project teams—where inspiration might come from a recent exhibition, a striking piece of typography, or a personal memorable moment. These exchanges, rooted in shared experiences and collective knowledge, ignite creativity in ways that working alone rarely does.

In a digital-first world dominated by screens, in-person conversations and connections are more valuable than ever. The balance between digital and analogue is delicate. In our rush to send emails and attend virtual meetings, we risk losing the warmth, depth and serendipity that real conversations and experiences bring.

For me, January is a reminder to appreciate these moments before the year gains momentum. It’s a time to rediscover creativity in the often-overlooked, everyday interactions that hold so much potential.

I might be the outlier here, but I really like January. Yes, it is cold and dark, but you can get a table in almost any restaurant, and the only queues are for the gym.

However, it never hurts to add a little colour to the grey days, which is why I love collaborating artists Craig and Karl. Karl is based in London and Craig in New York. Their Cosmos installation is currently in Melbourne Central Station. Joyful, colourful, and fun. What more can you ask of public art?

Something else brightening my start to the year is the excitement that Vice is printing its first edition after a six-year hiatus. I haven’t managed to get hold of a copy yet, but I hope it’s as mad and wonderful as I remember.

I’ve also found inspiration in looking back at the controversial and provocative work of Oliviero Toscani, Benetton’s famous Art Director, who died recently. He gave the brand a purpose, making shocking work that educated and promoted unity. Really powerful stuff.

The best thing about January is that it’s a great excuse for something new. This year, I’ve taken up roller skating. Eek! 

A friend of mine sent me this article from The Guardian recently and it’s been transformative for me. Link here.

A walk helps me reset, think about things differently and invariably I see something I otherwise wouldn’t have.

And if you feel it isn’t making the most of your time, load up your favourite podcast to keep you company.

You’ll thank me I promise.

January gets a bad reputation as a dark, cold and miserable month. While this may be true, I find that creativity can be ignited by looking towards our folk understanding of January: myths, nomenclature and experience can all shape and inspire creativity.

When struggling with creative inspiration, it helps me to remind myself that Januaries are relative. While we may be in the dark, the vibrant metropolis- a namesake for January- Rio de Janeiro basks in summer sunshine. The divergent nature of the experiences of January across the globe is not only a reminder that the ‘dark days’ of January are temporary, but also an encouragement of taking a backstep and considering different perspectives. Advice more people need to take on board, both in creative enterprises and in general life.

January is the beginning. Named after the Roman God Janus, the dual visaged deity presides over beginnings and ends, entries and exits and all sense of dualities. January is the start of a new year, the start of a new story. This can be creatively overwhelming, but it also offers creative opportunity. The Wolf Moon occurs in January, and wolves themselves are associated with stories, the famous Latin phrase ‘Lupus in Fabula’ literally translates to ‘the wolf in the story’.

As a strategist, my best ideas are built upon rationality. Exploring different perspectives, searching for patterns and uncovering stories enables my creativity. January, as the month of stories and beginnings presents an opportunity to take a step back and take stock. Which stories are beginning? Which have come to an end? Which are part of a larger narrative? January asks creatives and strategists alike to consider these questions and uncover the new stories, new ideas and new creativity hiding within the new year.

The winter holiday was way too short. I had big plans to rest, but, well… you know how that goes.

And now, we’re back in the office. With only 6 hours and 58 minutes of sunlight per day (yes, I Googled it), the creative brain really starts to feel the strain. That’s why I’ve spent years perfecting a meditation technique, scientifically tested on a highly exclusive sample of one, to help you rediscover your motivation.

Here’s how it works:
 Get comfy.
 Take three deep breaths in… and three deep breaths out. 
Keep breathing, close your eyes and imagine…

It’s 25 degrees.
 The sun is shining. Oh, and look—rosé!


You bump into an old friend… more rosé.


You’ve got a shortlist… now there’s some bubbly. It pairs surprisingly well after all that rosé.

Keep breathing… in, then out.

Maybe you deserve another glass? Yes, you do. And you know why? Because back in January, you worked your ass off. 

Now, if that won’t help, I’m out of ideas. It’s January, after all.

As we begin 2025, I’ve been drawing creative energy from shared moments of inspiration. 

We’ve just had our first studio talk of the year at Mother Design — a brilliant session from Henrik Kubel, the principal designer at A2-TYPE in London. It was a wonderfully insightful, playful, and inspiring presentation that reflected Henrik’s passion for the discipline and his deep expertise of typographic craft. It made me reflect on the thousands of hours that go into what we do and the importance of collaborating with the right partners. Henrik’s presentation style also raised a smile (and plenty of laughter); something that resonated given our philosophy at Mother Design to take what we do seriously, but never ourselves.

In the spirit of industry talks we’re celebrating some of our own studio specialisms and the people behind them within the team as we start the year. In such a fast-paced business I often find there aren’t enough moments where we pause to enjoy the detail that goes into creating our work. So, we’ll be kicking off some internal sessions to highlight the specialist disciplines across the studio for everyone to better understand, appreciate and celebrate the skill sets behind our brand worlds — starting with Brand‑Voice Lead, Sarah Grech, who will be talking words with the team.

Read more about how creative leaders are staying inspired in January.