I’ve made mention of my hearing loss in the past on this blog, particularly in relation to accessibility issues related to web design, as well as how the internet has made hearing loss more or less a non-issue in conducting company business.

A different aspect of hearing loss that recently became a major issue for me will probably hit home with many of you designers and developers. “You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone,” is an expression that’s been particularly applicable for the last two weeks.

I use one hearing aid which, in conjunction with lipreading, allows me to hold conversations with about as much ability as one with normal hearing. However, my hearing can suddenly bottom out, and accompanied with a spike in tinnitus (ringing in the ear), it makes impossible to make sense of anything I hear.

This happened two weeks ago, and since then, it’s been difficult to work. Like many others, I rely on listening to music while designing to help keep me focused and creative. My hearing hasn’t taken such a hit since the formation of Tridea Design, so I was suddenly staring in the face of a major design block.

Forced to analyze my work styles and habits, I realized that there were probably other things that I have come to take for granted that assist in my designing process. Things like equipment came to mind immediately. My computer, for sure, but I have a backup drive to recover files from. Thanks to Apple’s Time Machine, backing up is easy and painless. If peripherals like my mouse were to break, it would probably hinder my work speed, but I could manage with the touchpad on my laptop.

Hardware can be replaced, software can be re-installed, code can be rewritten, but the more intangible things can prove problematic. For example, caffeine junkies out there, what if your doctor told you the eight cups of java were burning a hole in your stomach and you had to stop for a few weeks?

I’ve since found ways around the inability to hear my music while I design. One method has been to play movies in the background on my TV where I work. It serves the same purpose as music did: a way to remain in work mode but also allow my brain those moments to wander.

I urge you all to take a few moments yourself and see if there are things you depend on to stay in the zone, and at least consider ways around losing those. It might mean the difference between a minor inconvenience and a deviation from your usual workflow, and a full-on creative block.