
So the holiday season is brewing and I've got a lot of designs to complete - emails, banners, little buttons that shimmer, etc. Since it's hard to make things original when you're talking about age old traditions, naturally I've been facing my share of creative blocks.
Here are my semi-creative tricks I've been using to bust through those blocks:
- I've been walking more, to my dog's co-benefit.
- Yesterday I also did 100 jumping jacks (which drove the above-mentioned dog crazy)
- I've been sitting down to the piano more. As Dr. Betty Edwards, author of "Drawing on the Right Side of The Brain" explains exercising the right brain helps us get creative... and I definitely feel that when I sit at the piano (even to clunk away on my nonsensical made up songs).
- I've been eating lots of fiber. Not sure why that helps, but it allows me to munch, without the sluggishness ultimately resulting from consuming sugary/carby snacks. My fave: Baby carrots dipped in Sabra hummus (Original Flavor) or apples and celery with peanut butter. Be sure to visit their site for a musical treat!
- I recently discovered that the local college in my area has a fabulous graphic design book collection. I am totally wowed. I was able to sign up for community membership and came home with a stack of 5 beautiful books to get me inspired. I don't know if I'll have time to read them all, but at least flipping through gets my juices flowing.
- I love visiting websites to get some good ideas too... lately I've been browsing my old faves again: Design Meltdown (especially useful is their holiday branding area!), Dynamic GraphicsVeerley's Blog.
- And my ultimate secret creative weapon: CHUZZLE!!! - I play a round every time I am done with a sub task of a task. So let's say I have to create 5 banners. Well, I'll create one, then Chuzzle, then move on to the next, then Chuzzle some more! Not something I'd want to fess up to in front of a client, but definitely helps me break up the pressure of work... which ultimately allows me to get more done.
- Yeah, ok, so that's kinda' silly, and border-line unproductive, but it works! So far I'm plugging along bit by bit... though I did take Monday off to just DE-Spazz!
Would love to hear your ideas on getting through these sorts of tough blocked times... leave me a comment if you've got some.