The Art of Untinging

The creative world is all about striving for perfection. We relentlessly move from one idea to the next to find the perfect fit for the brief. And you can do that- for five hours, maybe six. But at some point in the day, you find yourself staring at a blank screen, wondering, "Where do I even go from here?" The cursor blinks. Your coffee is cold. You read the same line ten times. Somehow, nothing clicks.

Working in advertising, people know they're probably just one brief away from creative burnout. Coming into this industry for my first job, that thought genuinely scared me. I assumed everyone around me was effortlessly coming up with brilliant ideas at the drop of a hat, while I'd eventually run out. I quickly realised that isn't how creativity works. Even the best ideas need room to breathe.
Wouldn't it be nice then to have a dedicated spot right inside the office where you could pause for a bit? Not to procrastinate, but simply to reset. A place where you're allowed to switch off for a while so you can switch back on later.
Turns out, I got lucky.

The very same month I joined Ting, Unting - our very own breakout space - came into being. So in many ways, my first few months at work are inseparable from that room. From figuring out the long list of crossword puzzle rules, eventually giving up and playing with my own made-up rules, to the feisty rounds of Taboo, filled with meta references that helped me know my team better, the place never failed to take me out of writing slumps.

If there is one area of the office that has seen people in their truest and all possible versions, it is Unting: Playing intense Call of Duty battles, dozing off after a hearty meal of rice, spontaneous gossip sessions, having a nice cup of coffee and Maggi in the evening, even starting a new chapter of Little Women. Ironically, it has also seen plenty of work: client calls taken discreetly because every meeting room was occupied, quick brainstorms that accidentally turned into the best ideas of the day, last-minute presentations being reviewed over cups of coffee. Somehow, the space designed for taking breaks became a space where some of our best thinking happened.

Maybe that's what a good breakout space is meant to do. Not help you escape work, but help you step away from it just long enough to come back with a clearer mind.

In an industry where ideas are our biggest asset, sometimes the most productive thing you can do is stop trying so hard to have one.

And perhaps that's the quiet magic of Unting. It reminds us that creativity doesn't always arrive when you're glued to your desk. Sometimes, it shows up in the middle of a game, over a cup of coffee, in a conversation that had nothing to do with work, or simply in a moment where you finally gave your mind permission to wander.