10 Exercises Designers Can Do To Keep Their Creativity Sharp
- 4 May 2010
- Articles, Web Design
- This post was written exclusively for PV.M Garage by Mike Smith
- Comments (28)»
We’re a creative group of people, but as we all know, the creativity can dry up at times and we just feel stuck. What I’ve learned over the past couple years is how to build a creativity bank to look to when I’m feeling uninspired, as well as keep a list of to-do’s that will allow me to let the creativity creep back into my life. This article shares my tips for sharpening my creativity and I hope it helps you out the next time you’re in a slump and feel like there’s no way to get out of it.
10 Exercises For Sharpening Your Creativity
Below you can read about ten simple things to do for keeping vivid and fresh your mind and don’t lose inspiration. Stay inspired and be creative!
Keep a css gallery list on deck
One of the things that work well for design inspiration is to look at other kick ass designs and draw inspiration from them. CSS Galleries like Design Bombs, The Best Designs, CSS Mania and others have a ton of inspiration built right into their submissions, so check them out whenever you feel like you’re in a slump.
Step away from the computer & go outside
I don’t mean to just go outside and play (although you can – and should), I mean to go outside and find inspiration from the colors of the trees, paint chipping on the side of a building, the typography of a sign and so on. Take pictures if you can and look them over when you get home.
Stop designing on the computer and pick up a pencil
Draw, even if you suck at drawing by hand. The freedom to just sketch things out and put a pencil to a piece of paper is sure to inspire you and give you the ability to make things you haven’t been able to on the computer.
Read magazines & books for typography inspiration
I picked up a “Psychology Today” magazine the other day and noticed a ton of cool set ups for their typography that would translate beautifully into a website design (one of which I’m using on a new WordPress Theme I will be releasing soon). So, head to the bookstore (or a corner store that sells magazines) and pick a couple up, you never know what inspiration might strike you.
Work on something personal – not just client projects
Working on client projects constantly can be a drain on your creativity because you’re not free to do what you want and you have to answer to someone. However, working on your own projects every now and then will help break up the craziness and keep your creativity on its toes. Redesign your portfolio, create a free template to give away, write a tutorial – anything that you can do to keep your mind off of client work.
Find music that inspires you & throw it on at a high volume!
Some people like smooth jazz while others need classic Metallica or even Tupac in order to feel creativity bursts. I know that hiphop music keeps me inspired and motivated to do things, however I also tend to listen to a lot of Pink Floyd when I’m writing articles (like for instance, “Comfortably Numb” is playing in the background right now as I type this).
Take some time to mind map the future of your design business
Brainstorming new ideas for your design business is a great way to get inspired. I always find the most creativity comes from ‘doing my own thing’, so by mind mapping ideas (Mind Meister is a good tool), I inspire myself to push forward and think of things outside of the box.
Check out designers that are not in your niche
Do you design websites for a living? Why not check out logo designers and 3d sculptors? Graffiti can also be a source of inspiration for designers who are looking to see art outside of their own bubble. I design blogs for a living, so I like checking out vector designers (color inspiration) a lot to free my mind of the ‘web design’ clutter that tends to build up over time.
Test yourself with tutorials
By writing tutorials, you’re forcing yourself to think about the minute aspects of a design you’re creating, thus making you very aware of the entire process. For instance, I wrote a couple articles for Tut Toaster (view them here) and it helped me brainstorm new ideas and also learn a thing or two along the way.
Do something completely non-design related
Watch a sports event, play with your kids (if you have kids), go to the park and have a picnic with your significant other, play video games – do something. By getting your mind completely off designing altogether, you’re able to enjoy your life, your freedom as a freelance designer and also help to clear your mind of the million things you’ve thought of that are design related in the past week.
What do you do to keep your creativity sharp?
I know you’ve got some tips to share, so make sure you drop a comment and let us know. After all, we all can use an extra tip or two every now and then.
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Typically going out and sketching does wonders to me :) Especially when it ends up with a cup of coffee :)
Go out and see different things, sometimes I also look at other design related work like product design, architecture, interior design, photography and other sort of stuffs! Not only I keeps your creativity sharp, it also broaden your horizon which is something that we need.
i still a student so tht inspire me i mean all tht stuff inside school and friends with various mentality
Nicely written article. Some of these I already do, but looks like I’m gonna have to try a couple of your suggestions.
I find drawing a sketching to be relaxing and I love working outside this time of year (and it helps fight my pastiness).
Nice tips. I donno how can anyone do this all in one single day :) hehe
Nice list.
Taking a break (going away from the comp) works good to me.
Never stay too much in front of the pc in without a few breaks :)
Watch TV and movies. Sometimes they will give me inspirations. Sleeping is also a good idea. I had many good ideas from my dreams.
Take a shower or brush my teeths is also inspiring almost always.
Cheers!
Nicely written article..useful tips..thanks for the post..
Cool post, playing sports and music is what I usually try to do
thanks alot;;)
Interesting suggestions, it sounds like the most important thing to take away from this post that you think a designer should never stay too stagnant.
Gr8 Article love it………….
Masturbation leads me to great client ideas. I’m not joking.
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Hey Mike, i’ve read your article on tuttoaster about “Design Single Page Portfolio Design in Photoshop”, it’s a great article, thank you.
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clear list or reset lists?
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