By Michael Arroyo
Creativity is like love — it is nearly impossible to explain, it means something a little different to everyone and, at some point, in some way, we all experience it. Whether it is in the form of trying a new combination of pizza toppings or, in the case of us designers, developing a new ad for a client, creativity is a part of all of our lives. The trick is learning to refine and focus this innate creativity to discover our best ideas and bring them into reality.
As with any other skill, effectively utilizing your creativity takes practice. Everyone is capable of coming up with remarkable ideas, but sometimes accessing those ideas can be a challenge.
One thing that often helps to get my creative thoughts flowing is remembering that creativity originates from problem solving. Consider the parameters of the project you are working on or, if none exist already, set a few yourself (you can always change them later). Looking for possible ways to solve a problem — in other words, meet parameters —naturally inspires creativity.
My creative process can also involve a lot of Google searching. I research the tactical aspects of the project, monitor trends and seek inspiration from ads, websites, art, videos — you name it! Almost like a free-write, I start with a smorgasbord of visual cues, leaving every idea on the table. I don’t close my mind off to anything, because resources that may seem unrelated to the project at hand can often spark a novel idea.
Of course, there will always be those days or projects where the creativity just doesn’t come easily. You might spend hours mulling something over, with nothing more to show for it than significantly worse posture than you had when you began. When this happens, my best advice is to take a break. Trying to force creativity usually leads to disappointing results. But, when you step back and clear your head, inspiration may just strike.
The bottom line is that there is creativity in all of us, whether we dream of being award-winning designers or just crafting a tastier pizza at lunch. With a little confidence and a lot of practice, we can all tap into our creative processes and come up with some pretty spectacular ideas.
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