My clients often ask me: where do you get inspiration from?
Feeding creativity is an art on its own. And as with every artistic discipline, it takes a lifestyle to nurture.
Some people think that good art is based on suffering. Just think of famous painters and musicians – all transformed their personal tragedy into something profound for others.
But what about design? I think the opposite.
The more relaxed and happy my lifestyle is, the better my creativity flows. (There is research supporting this statement, read more in Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi). So essentially, the best way I support my creativity is by leading a super healthy lifestyle. Eating well, sleeping enough, and keeping myself generally happy.
Another, perhaps surprising aspect is scheduling. I felt that I graduated from artist to designer once I had my planning in order.
Without a well-organized calendar, I could not respond to clients as well, would slack behind with admin for my business, and would be lost between the many things I enjoy doing. Again, staying on track gives me headspace and calm.
This opens the possibility for letting unexpected inspiration in. I can’t even count the times I picked up an idea literally wandering in the street or drafted a concept while daydreaming.
Lastly, design is one of the disciplines where you can’t stop learning. Like a lawyer or a doctor, we have to keep up with new tools, trends, visual developments, and research. We go to museums, read books, binge-listen podcasts and crawl the web on a regular basis. Only like this, we can produce state-of-the-art results for our clients.
Flashes of productive creativity are a myth (at least, to me) – producing quality design work takes a whole lifestyle.
Next time when you look at any piece of design you enjoy – think about what it took for the designer to create it. Chances are that you will value it and enjoy it even more!
Enjoying my thoughts on design and branding? Share this newsletter with a friend!
For tips and titbits, head over to my Instagram!
Got a question, or interested in working together? Drop me a line at [email protected] and let’s get talking!
