If you have a creative brain, you know that ideas can come on like a tidal wave, bing, bang, boom, and you’ve got something beautiful with your name on it that is now part of the world! Good for you!
You also know that the creative landscape can sometimes look a lot like the Sahara desert without a spark of an idea as far as the eye can see.
Anyone that has to come up with new, innovative, and interesting ideas on a regular basis whether that be a part of your job, or promoting your own business or even a hobby knows that finding inspiration can put you on the struggle bus…and you’re the driver.
1. Find Inspiration in Nature: Go for a walk, look at the patterns of leaves and flowers, the different layers and textures in rocks and wood, the colors of birds and wildlife. You never know where you will find the perfect color or texture for your project and getting your mind away from it can be just the ticket to remove “designer’s block”.
2. Pinterest: Pinterest boards literally have MILLIONS of things to inspire you. From fun fonts to backgrounds to logo ideas and more, take some time to get lost in Pinterest for a bit, look at art, popular advertising campaigns, photography, and trends or color swatches. The possibilities and ideas are endless!
3. GOOGLE Baby!: Simply searching for things like ‘successful ad campaigns’ or ‘current graphic design trends’ can help spur some creativity and keep you informed on what works and what doesn’t.
4. Create an Environment That Nurtures Creativity: That can mean playing your favorite music, or complete silence, create a vision board, and remove distractions. A mind that has too many things bouncing around at once can’t be creative. Give yourself a chance to be present in your project by removing outside influences and distractions.
5. Get Out of Your Box: Meaning, push yourself outside of your comfort zone. Learning new software or techniques can be intimidating but you are only growing when you are learning.
6. Nothing Compares 2 U: Artists are notoriously our own worst critics. You are always going to think that another designer, painter, singer…is better than you. Better is subjective. You are unique and bring something to the table that ultimately no one else can because YOU ARE AN ORIGINAL. Embrace your differences, capitalize on them, and be proud of your work.
7. Don’t Be Too Hard On Yourself: If you are struggling with a project and it seems as if nothing you do is the magic potion for bringing it all together, it’s OK. It really is! Not all projects are going to be zingers and there will be those from time to time that you look back on that you truly wonder, “Ugh, did I actually let people see that?” Don’t dwell on them, remind yourself how far you’ve come and move on.
8. Be Open: Criticism sucks. Let’s face it. If someone tells you that they like criticism, they are a liar. Even constructive criticism can hurt when it’s about something that is a part of you, which is how most creatives see their work. But it can be a learning opportunity. Practice taking criticism with grace, be open to suggestions and you just might learn something!
A few simple steps, set on repeat, with some dedication it all it takes to break down creative walls and have faith! The world would be a much less beautiful place if it weren’t for creative thinkers so be proud, sprinkle it everywhere, go make something pretty, and let that creative beast roar!