Creative Ways to Kill Your Inspiration Dry Out

If you are a designer, you must be aware of the fact that your inspiration sometimes runs dry. This can be a big road block that not only bothers your mind, but also can delay projects. Luckily, there are tons of ways to boost your inspiration. Here is a list of creative ways to boost your inspiration, for you to remember whenever your inspiration runs dry!

Graphic designers, web designers and graphic artists alike are heavily dependent on creativity and inspiration. Creativity is something that you either have, or not have. Some say creativity cannot be thought, while others believe you can learn creativity by practice. Inspiration however, is something more short-lived that — in the most cases — easily can be boosted!

But how should you know how to get inspired, when you are feeling as uninspired as one can be? PixelTango to the rescue! Here is a list of some suggestions that you can practice whenever your inspiration dries out.

  • Produce Music

    Playing instruments and creating music is a great way to tickle your creative senses. Creativity and the ability to create music goes hand in hand. So you should be able to crank out some smooth tunes if you are a true designer. Learning how to produce music can be a painful process, but the software available is constantly becoming more usable. Consider learning how to use the application as a part of the creative process.

    Learn how to produce music

  • Go to the ZOO

    Having fun with friends watching the penguins and lamas will definitely get you in the mood for creating. Visiting the ZOO is a great way to get both inspiration for future designs and some computer-free quality time. Being able to leave the computer is a skill just as important as being able to master the Pen Tool in Photoshop for graphic designers.

    Find a ZOO

  • Get Some Exercise

    Ok, admit it guys… designers usually are not very good at sports. Encourage yourself next time when your inspiration goes dry to go exercise. I promise you it will get your mind working more efficiently and you will come up with new ideas in no time.

    Exercise regularly to live a longer and happier life as a designer.

  • Visit the Mall

    You should start seeing a pattern here. Just leaving the computer for a while is a great formula to boost your inspiration. One simple way to do this is to just go to the mall, sit down for a while and watch people moving. Study clothes, colors, store design, print design in advertisements and such… there is actually more inspiration to find here than you can imagine!

  • Get Some Sleep

    This is actually a no brainier. When you are tired your brain works on half-speed. Having a sharp mind is essential to get the ideas coming. So if you ever feel tired when you are out of ideas, go take a nap and see if it helps.

  • Browse Your Old Work

    When you are really out of ideas and have no ideas for where to get inspiration, why not take a look at some old stuff that you have created? It is a great way to see how you have developed during the years and it might inspire you by giving yourself an ego boost. If you created that beautiful thing last year, just imagine what you are able to create now!

  • Scribble

    Shut down the computer for a while and grab a piece of paper and a pen. Start scribbling whatever comes to mind and start appending ideas as they appear. The way from the mind to a piece of paper is in the most cases way shorter than from the mind to the computer screen. Also, many things appearing on the computer screen can be distracting, so sometimes it is really nice to just work with an old fashioned pencil.

  • Play Games

    Sometimes you feel stressed and it might hinder your creativity. One great way to relax, while getting great loads of inspiration, is to play video games. Today’s games have great graphics and offer gameplay that encourages the player to interact and think, which in turn could tickle your senses and inspire you to create.

  • Watch a Movie

    Movies is my second take after the video games. It is maybe not as stimulating, but it sure is relaxing. Besides, a movie can be very thoughtful and if you are an emotional person like me, you easily become moved and inspired by others work.

  • Listen to Music

    My life would have no meaning without music, and I am sure many of you would agree on that. It is no question people get inspired by music — no matter if it comes from world’s greatest concert or from your tiny MP3-player.

    Lie down in your bed, close your eyes and let yourself go with some fresh music.

  • Read a Good Book

    Sure, watching a movie might inspire you a lot. But I honestly think a good book can inspire you even more. You will have to work harder for it, but in the end I think it will be worth it. In a book the details are not set in stone, which means you will have to come up with some of it. Grab a good book and challenge your brain to build the scenes around the story.

  • Clean Up!

    Clean up your desk. To me, nothing is as depressing as a messy desk and environment when you work. While you still cannot create something nice on the computer screen, go clean up your desk. It will be a much more enjoyable experience to come back to a clean desk the next day to begin your day.

  • Do Something Unexpected

    Decide on doing whatever first comes to mind. It can be simple things, like taking a few laps running around the house or more complex things like bungee-jumping. Call a friend from the past to catch up. Build awesome paper planes or go throw some darts…

    or simply read PixelTango, right?

Continue reading here: Amazing and Unique Illustrations by Alberto CerriteƱo

Was this article helpful?

0 0