Thursday, September 15, 2011
29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE
by Nicholas Belcher
Most of this list is stuff everyone in the design program here at PCA&D should already know. Some of it's advice we've heard before, but there's something here for everyone to try.
The ones I really enjoy specifically are: #9 ("Listen to Music"), #10 ("Be OPEN"), #11 ("Surround yourself with creative people"), #17 ("Go somewhere new"), #21 (which is bolded in the list and self-explanatory), and I especially love #25 ("Stop trying to be someone else's perfect"). I believe 25 can be taken a couple different ways, because in our field, we do deal with clients who want something very very specific. But we do have to try and push our (in our eyes) better ideas and see where it gets us at least. We're all into design because we love doing it, but sometimes you just gotta try something new and I think this list shows some good ideas.
If you never "free write" for inspiration, you should consider trying it. If music has never been an inspiration, perhaps give it a shot when looking for inspiration. I just thought this list was a good outline to keep in mind as we continue our adventure into the waters of graphic design. In the words of Pat Mendoza; "as we get 'waist deep' this year before becoming completely submerged in the world of design after graduation."
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Excellent post my friend! I have been fortunate enough to have previously viewed this clip. A friend of mine, who also thinks critically and creatively, shared this with me on Facebook (sorry Tom) with the idea of inspiring me one morning. I really enjoyed it the first time, and even more so now as I am further along my educational endeavor; deeper in the water if you will ;).
ReplyDeleteI believe everything on this list should be complete by creative minds at least once. You'll never know what results an experiment will produce unless you try it. Also, another thing I feel is worth mentioning is, did you notice that the first item on the list is make a list? Just an interesting little observation.
Anyways, some of my personal favorites from this list are as follows:
#4/6 (they go hand-in-hand) - Take breaks/Get away from the computer.
I think one of the most important actions we can take when working creatively is to STOP. Just stop. Ideas can often come to you when you're not thinking about anything at all.
# 12 - Get feedback.
One of the actions from this list I take most frequently is gaining feedback. I value others' opinions and input and seek suggestions with every project I take on. Others' ideas often trigger ideas of my own.
#28 - Have fun.
In my own personal opinion, this is the most important item on the list. It's at the forefront of everything we do. If you're out to have fun doing this, then why do it?! Go get an office job if you want to be bored. We are striving to obtain the best job in the world. Anybody remember One Trick Pony's artist lecture last semester? Ask those guys how much fun they have for a living.
Admittedly, I struggle with several of these items. Specifically so, numbers 16 and 19.
#16 - Allow yourself to make mistakes.
I find I am generally conservative when attempting challenges for the first time, since I am afraid of failure, and avoid any outlandish maneuvers until I have a further understanding of the subject.
#19 - Get lots of rest.
I don't get adequate rest, so lots is completely out of the question. I see it in this fashion: practice how you play. I plan to be up all night racking my brain for ideas, inspirations, and solutions for my projects in the future. I might as well get used to it now. Ain't no rest for the wicked....