Every now and then especially noteworthy designs come along. They challenge existing designs without care for bucking a trend and completely throw us off balance. And then it’s not so long before you’re stuck in a rut with little creativity to show for.
And no, you’re not a bad designer. But you know that soon enough your designs will start to look a little samey. You also know that you have to do something to rediscover your creativity.
However, unfortunately, graphic designers aren’t always sure how to improve their value and keep their job. And with the near everyday changes that are part of graphic design, it becomes even harder to stay relevant. Which is scary because let’s be honest: you might lose a lot of good customers as a result.
Well, we’re not going to let that happen. Here’s how to rediscover your graphic design creativity and make designs everybody can look forward to.
- Practice Practice Practice
You’ve heard the saying that practice makes perfect. But does it really?
A study by Princeton University reveals that deliberate practice is more likely to make you better at something. Other studies also show that training improves performance and changes the brain.
And the list keeps going on and on.
The truth is there are dozens of great graphic designers right now. And that number keeps going up. This means that things are going to get more competitive in the graphic design field.
So how do you stand out?
You have to practice practice practice.
In other words, it’s not enough to wish your creativity back. You have to continuously practice coming up with ideas and lateral thinking for your next designs. And you’ll eventually become better at it.
- Spend Time with Like-Minded Creatives
Sometimes it can be overwhelming to try and rediscover your creativity all by yourself. There are so many voices in your head telling you that it’s going to be close to impossible. Not to mention the sheer stress of feeling alone and battling with low self-esteem because you feel you’re not good enough can leave you paralyzed and discourage you even further.
The solution?
Spend time with like-minded creatives.
Get to know other people in your creative field and have creative conversations with them. Collaborate on a project together or just simply take time to admire their creativity. This will help inspire and fuel your creative juices.
- Practice Free Design
I have a question for you…
How do you come up with designs?
If I had to take a guess id say you probably spend hours thinking about your next design.
What a drag right?
The solution?
Don’t think, just design.
The goal of the process is to exercise your creativity. And every time you think about what to do next or what’s not working with your design, you lose rhythm. Then you lose one idea after the next.
The truth is, it will never be good enough. Even after you’ve finished your design, you’ll still feel that something’s missing. So just let your imperfection give life to your art.
- Take Some Classes
Unless you are Milton Glaser, Stefan Sagmeister or Paula Scher, you have to continuously improve yourself by gaining as much knowledge as you can. It’s too hard to compete with other graphic designers if you don’t take some classes. They have extensive experience and vast knowledge on how to better their designs and are able to produce creative designs effortlessly.
And if you don’t take classes to rediscover your creativity, it will be hard to make good designs and monetize your work because there won’t be enough people interested in your designs.
- Collect Designs That Inspire You
As a good graphic designer, you should take photos of design work that inspires you and stack it in your collection. This way, you can always refer back to your collection when you’re at a creative block and bask in the creativity of that particular piece to flex your imagination and fill your own creative tank.
Put simply, seeing a creative piece improves your creativity. It inspires your creative juices and soon enough you have a head full of positive creativity.
- Take a Walk
I know I’ve told you to practice practice practice. However, on the flip side, sitting for long periods is unhealthy. Which explains why most business-minded people hold meetings on foot.
If you’ve tried everything and are still having trouble rediscovering your creativity, get off your chair. It will help you:
- Clear your head and reduce stress.
- Encourage blood flow and lift your moods.
- Increase your creative output.
- Sleep on It
Don’t try practicing any more than you have. Or spend more time with like-minded creatives. Or look at your stacked creations.
None of those will work.
Probably because you’re too tired and your brain is exhausted.
The solution?
Let it go.
Sleep on it.
You’ll be at a better position to tackle the problem tomorrow when you have a rejuvenated mind. It’s even possible that you’ll get an inspiring dream that will stimulate your creativity.
Conclusion
There you have it- 7 proven ways to rediscover your graphic design creativity. There are obviously plenty more ways to rediscover your creativity but these seven are a great place to start. You’ll most likely get past the creative block by taking these actions.
Best of luck!