Designer’s Block

On my journey to becoming a graphic designer, no one ever told me how difficult it would be to stay creative all day every day. Some days things just work and the ideas flow faster than you can scribble them down; other days you find yourself researching concepts and ideas with no creative light bulb popping up. Since then I’ve come up with some ways to stay creative and keep the passion alive. Here are a few of my favourite ways to do so:

Surround yourself with bright colours

Nothing says boring like a plain white wall to look at all day long. Instead, keep your creative space colourful either with some flowers, a mood board, a bright desktop image or a calendar. The brighter the better!

Explore and expand

Sometimes living in the same city your whole life can make you feel as though you don’t need to explore. Over the last few months I have found myself exploring new cafés, restaurants, concerts, events and festivals. Because I have opened my mind to these new experiences, I have also expanded in other ways like listening to music I wouldn’t normally listen to, cook food I never tried before, and read books I wouldn’t normally pick up. By broadening your mind, the ideas come from experience and then being creative comes naturally.

Sharing is caring

Sometimes we like to work alone and take credit for our own ideas and creative designs. Here at JAZ we like to limit this habit as much as possible. By sharing a creative space we learn to bounce ideas off one another and add to them, or sometimes even spark an idea that’s new. This way, by each looking at a problem differently and combining our solutions, we get the best result.

Exercise outdoors

Any form of exercise is great, but I find that by going outdoors and finding new places to walk or run helps me see the world differently and expand my mind. Sometimes the beauty of mother nature is all the inspiration we need!

Back to basics

It can be easy to rely on computers; they are easier, faster and more convenient. But sometimes if it’s not working on the computer I try and take a step back, dust off the watercolours and let myself get lost in it. It may take longer but more often than not, the result is much more satisfying and 100% original.

Take a break

Whether it’s moving on to a new project or grabbing a fresh cup of coffee, stepping away from something that isn’t working can be very helpful. Once a brief is stuck in your head you’re more conscious of it. You could be laying in bed or singing in the shower and suddenly the solution comes to you. There’s no shame in needing more time to think about something, and the best ideas come when you least expect it.

Create when you don’t have to

When you make a living off being creative sometimes you feel as though it’s the last thing you want to do in your free time. But by doing something creative just for the fun of it can reignite that fire and rekindle your love of creativity. When something is fun it comes easily, and getting out of that mentality that you need to get paid to be creative is a vital lesson that I have had to learn.

Creativity in all shapes and sizes

By realising creativity comes in many forms, it’s hard to get bored of it. Coming up with a new recipe, writing a poem, drawing a picture, sewing a dress, decorating the house or learning a new instrument. There’s always something to learn and try and the best part of being creative is everyone can do it!