Whether you’re a frustrated designer or a ‘regular’ person looking for inspiration, these tips will help you develop a creative mindset from which interesting ideas can grow.
Some jobs can be started and stopped with ease, but the creative’s workday is a little more complex. Yes, we often have to hit deadlines, and sometimes we have to force ourselves through projects. But, more often than not, we need to be ‘in the zone’ to do our best work.
And it’s not just those with ‘designer’ or ‘copywriter’ in their title that need a little help to unlock inspiration either. Everybody must apply some form of creativity at some point in their career, whether it’s putting together a presentation, pitching within the business or selling to prospective customers. The tips below come from a designer’s head, but they’re equally useful for anyone who needs to get their creative juices flowing and come up with new and interesting ideas.
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Be ready for creative surprises
Keep a notepad by your bed, next to your laptop or even near the shower. You never know when a great idea will hit you, and it’s almost always when you’re least expecting it (or wearing a towel without a pen to hand!). I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve woken at 3 am with the urge to draw something. Scribble down your ideas to get the creative process flowing, and some are bound to stick.
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Find inspiration online
It’s not cheating to look at other creative projects to get your own ideas whirring. I look at designers and company posts on Instagram and LinkedIn as well as design magazines online. Design Week and Creative Review are great places to see what other people are doing.
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Engage all of your senses
Listening to music is often helpful to move you into an almost meditative creative state. Pick a genre that matches your mood (or your project), or just find a quiet place where you can be alone with your thoughts. Candles and wax burners always help me to zone out too.
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Take your time
If the ideas aren’t coming right away, don’t just sit in front of your computer. Creativity can’t be rushed, and not doing anything will only frustrate you more. Take a walk, make a cup of tea, turn off unimportant notifications like Messenger, WhatsApp and social media. Set Teams to Busy or Do Not Disturb and try to maintain your focus when you do return.
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Find your happy place
While it is where your computer is, the desk isn’t an ideal setting for creativity. You need to be comfortable to be creative, so try different locations that offer different perspectives. If you have no other choice, try making your desk space more hospitable so that it feels like a place where ideas can be born.
Creativity is a tricky thing to tame. It can’t be turned on like a tap, and it’s hard to maintain for extended periods of time. I hope these tips help you be more creative throughout your day, whether you’re a designer, writer or anyone else in need of an artistic spark. And, of course, if all else fails, you can always come to ResourceiT to handle the creative side of your project for you.
