Leading designers share top tips for staying motivated.
Do you ever find that some days you're bubbling with creativity and others you're lost for ideas? Keeping those creative juices flowing can be tricky, but often all you need is a change of scenery or a flick through some inspiring design portfolios to spark your imagination.
Here we asked leading creatives to reveal some tips, tricks and expert advice to help keep your creative mojo.
01. Find solutions in problems
To mark the 50th anniversary of the British road sign, Lundgren+Lindqvist was invited to transform the familiar signs
"Creative blocks are often caused by what at a first glimpse seems to be an unsolvable problem," says Andreas Lundgren, art director and co-founder of Swedish design studio Lundgren+Lindqvist. "Treat these problems or limitations as assets and allow them to guide and influence your solution."
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02. Look at the bigger picture
"Life as a designer isn't always easy, and when things aren't going so well it can be hard to step back and see the bigger picture," admits Greig Anderson, co-founder and creative director at Freytag Anderson.
"It only takes a lost pitch or a difficult client at times to knock your confidence, and that can make it hard to pick up the pencil and go again. In these situations I always find it helps to remind yourself that there is more to life than design."
"Get back to basics – to the core idea of what you are trying to convey," continues Anderson. "I try to shut the blogs, books and inspiration sites and open the sketchbook."
"I think that the ability to see so much so quickly online these days becomes prohibitive to the design process. I find it makes it harder, and the area for original thinking (if there is still such a thing now?) become even smaller.
03. Keep thinking
Blow studio created 30 original mascots to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Hong Kong's largest Japanese style department store
"Doing personal work besides commercial projects can give you room to think and know more about yourself," says Ken Lo, founder of award-winning Hong Kong-based design studio Blow.
"There are so many interesting people, stories and objects every day. I like to observe people's behaviour; you can always find useful information about them. Explore the city and don't stuck in the office."
04. Take time out
Australian artist and designer Gemma O'Brien advises allowing time where you don't try to think of an idea. "Running, riding a bike, having a shower, going for a walk and sitting on a plane are perfect free thinking spaces to generate new ideas." "Also, look outside of the field of art and design," she continues, "and allow yourself to be influenced by literally anything in the world around you."
05. Appreciate what you have
"How do I stay motivated? The circumstances into which I was born are a huge motivator," says Northern Ireland-based graphic designer and writer David Airey. "I know how different things could have been – perhaps born into poverty, or passed from care home to care home. The luck of life's cruel draw."
06. Take a walk
"I go for a walk," says StudioSmall owner David Hitner, "work on another project or talk it through with Guy Marshall, my fellow partner at StudioSmall. "Also," he adds, "have experiences and reference points beyond your own industry. Work on a variety of projects. Keep learning."
This article originally appeared in Computer Arts magazine, subscribe here.
Julia is editor-in-chief, retail at Future Ltd, where she works in e-commerce across a number of consumer lifestyle brands. A former editor of design website Creative Bloq, she’s also worked on a variety of print titles, and was part of the team that launched consumer tech website TechRadar. She's been writing about art, design and technology for over 15 years.
