8 Tips for Designers to Overcome a Creative Block
The creative process requires being in a certain state of mind, feeling inspired and focused, to be able to simply create. And since it’s already not obvious, it’s easy to see why a creative block is particularly frustrating.
Feeling stuck is the last thing you need when your job is based on inventiveness and creativity… Even by putting everything in place from the beginning to be in the right conditions, we are never sure not to suffer the famous syndrome of the blank page. But don’t worry, dear graphic designer, we’re here to help! Our graphic designers and artists present you with 8 pro tips to overcome creative blocks.
Also Read: What is Design Fixation? | Creatibuzz
The best way to overcome a block depends on each of us and there is no miracle recipe that works for everyone. Even professional graphic designers with years of experience sometimes have blockages. And each of them has their own way of override it. So do not hesitate to come back and read this article in the wrong passes, and try one of these tips.
1. Tips for Designers: Go Through a Digital Cleansing
Many of us spend our days glued to our computer screens. As a graphic designer of the 21st century, it is difficult to do otherwise! But sometimes it only takes a little return to the roots to find inspiration.
Draw by hand.
Break the routine and go for a walk with your sketchbook. You’d be surprised how much going from a screen to paper can be enough to bring out new ideas! Drawing with a real pen (or pencil, or paint, etc.) on real paper can allow you to see things from a new angle and revive your creativity.
2. Tips for Designers: Creativity Cannot Be Forced
If nothing seems to be working, follow this good advice: don’t force yourself. Read a page of the book Forcing oneself to ‘be creative’ is completely impractical. It is not a manual skill that one practices or not, but a series of emotional and mental tasks that sometimes simply cannot be performed.
Everyone experiences less productive moments than others. It is important to know how to take a real break to better return to work afterwards. You’d be surprised to see the effects of a little break!
3. Tips for Designers: Finding Inspiration Elsewhere
Inspiration can come from anywhere. Looking at the work of other artists can be very effective, especially if their work is different from what you yourself are used to doing. Immersing yourself in something new can generate tons of new ideas!
Do something to get out of your comfort zone. Do you admire a particular artist or design? Perfect! Try to put yourself in his shoes and attack your work from that angle. You may well discover new things in addition to getting rid of your creative block.
Ask yourself what your favorite artist would do for you, even if sounds dumb. As long as the answer is not “set fire to my computer”, you can be sure to have at least one new idea.
Don’t forget that inspiration can come from anywhere, that is, not just from the world of visual arts. If in doubt, immerse yourself in a cultural experience other than that of your work: go to the cinema, see a play, or a concert. It will be an opportunity to awaken your senses and maybe find new muses!
4. Tips for Designers: Do Boring Things
Whether we prefer to clean or go for a run, the small monotonous tasks of everyday life are sometimes exactly what we need to clear our heads and start off on the right foot.
Do the dishes! It’s a repetitive task that you don’t need to think about. You’ll get sick of it to the point that you would want to go back to creating even before you’re done.
There are a ton of things you can do to relax your creative muscle while being productive: reorganize your filing system, prepare your tax return… Chances are that after doing something like this, you’ll really want to go back and do your job as a graphic designer!
5. Tips for Designers: It’s Okay to Fail Sometimes
Being afraid of not being good enough can also create a creative blocks. So, get rid of your worries and get started! Taking risks will help you increase your skills, and who knows, you might even start creating like never before!
It’s not uncommon to be afraid of failing when working on an important project. That’s why we make sure to stay in a familiar field and prevent ourselves from trying new things. Once we get around the fact that failing is a likely probability and that our lives will not end if we do, our consciousness will expand like a winged bird enabling us to be creative again and design something astounding.
6. Tips for Designers: Prioritize Self-Care
Listen to your body. If you feel tense, allow yourself to pick up a bit. Breathe, grab a bite to eat, take a nap, or go out for a walk. Be kind to yourself. Taking care of ourselves is sometimes the only thing we lack to regain some creative energy.
It’s important to take care of yourself regardless of your profession, and creatives shouldn’t forget that having a healthy body is essential for your mind to be healthy too. You can easily get caught up in a project and forget to eat or sleep properly. But, no matter what happens, you always end up paying for it. You can’t do a good job when you’re hungry and tired. So, take the time to take care of yourself.
7. Tips for Designers: Divide & Conquer
Sometimes the project we are tackling is too big and we lose sight of what is really important. This is where we find ourselves stuck, without being able to move forward. It is then necessary to take a step back.
As the famous post-impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh said: “The best things are not the result of an impulse, but of a series of small things done one after the other”. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by a giant project, or even completely paralyzed, unable to get started. And this can of course destroy your creativity…
The solution? Organize yourself in such a way as to divide your large project into a series of small, manageable and reasonable tasks. It will then be enough to go step by step.
8. Tips for Designers: Challenge Yourself
As a creative, you sometimes tend to sit back and wait for inspiration to come. The famous photorealist painter Chuck Close has a much more pragmatic approach to the thing: “Inspiration is for amateurs. The others show up and get to work.”
It’s easy to fall into procrastination when you have something difficult to accomplish and you’re not sure how to go about it. Chuck Close’s plan of attack is simple: dive into your work head first and don’t stop under any circumstances. You can’t force yourself to be creative, but you can force yourself to get to work. Every day. And it is possible, in this way, to work until an idea emerges. And there’s a good chance that creativity will show the tip of its nose along the way.
If it is not always advisable to put pressure on yourself, it is sometimes necessary to overcome a creative block. If there is one thing capable of producing a little adrenaline, it is an almost impossible deadline to meet! Having no boundaries is the source of any creative block. It is therefore essential to impose constraints on oneself.
As Henri Matisse said, “creativity requires courage”. Your block may be the result of you not really allowing yourself to move forward and do something challenging. It takes courage to create and implement new ideas. Identify your fears and what’s holding you back and work on them to get past your creative blocks. It’s time to push your own limits!
Lastly, Make Lists, Lists and more Lists
Creative blocks spare no one, not even the best artists! But with a few pro tips, you’ll be ready to create like never before. Keep this little list of tips under the elbow to come back to it as needed. You won’t regret it!
