Habits to increase your creativity

Creativity: "… capacity to create, produce new and valuable things, it’s the capacity of a brain to get to new conclusions and solve problems in an original way."

I’ve seen this topic from the point of view of a designer in thousands of blogs, but almost always they forget something, the psicological point of view. As you may know, appart from designer i’m licensed in Psicology, so i’ll talk about both points of view: the designer’s and psicologist.
Are you creative?

Take a look at the psicological profile of creative people.

Cognitive characteristics:

* Refined perception.
* Intuitive capacity.
* Imagination.
* Critic capacity.
* Intelectual curiosity.

Affective characteristics:

* Grace and freedom.
* Enthusiasm.
* Depth.
* Tenacity.

Freedom? Interesting, huh? According to this, the best design, the most creative, would come from freelance artists, since we have a free life, creative, original, contrary to the norm… and that at the end should be seen in our work.

But, does it surprise you to see that there are personality factors such as tenacity, critic capacity, intelectual curiosity…? Those are factors that implicate concious effort, so we can train them, which is the base for the next point.
Break the mith

If you follow this blog, you should know that i don’t believe in talent, talent is a plus, the difference between noticeable and exceptional. I believe more in tenacity and preparation, if talent is something innate and i don’t have it… why should i worry?, let’s better worry in getting the best version of ourselves, in the worst of the cases we’ll get to noticeable, which is a big achievement.

That’s why we have to end with the mith of the muses, divine inspiration, innate talent or spontaneous ideas. Creativity, as any other side of life, can be trained, success depends on preparation.
Believe in you

Who believes in itself is certain that it’s mission will succeed and knows how to focus productively in learning. When they make mistakes they consider it as a chance to improve, not to abandon.

If you want to become a good designer, try not to make the same mistakes you already did, be confident that as the time passes you’ll get better. Our goal is not to be the best, but to be a little better each time.
Study the rules… and after that break them

Creativity is not other thing than breaking the rules, but to be able to do it, you need to know them. That’s why it’s important to study the classics… if you’re a writer, painter, or designer. Example: if you want to be a good abstract painter study first realism.

Designers take this point to the process of design, the first thing we do is study the client (know his rules) to later force them, stretch them, break them… when we do it right, we get a great design.
Movement is demonstrated moving

I don’t know even one designer that before starting working knows exactly what it’ll create. The first thing to do logically is to know the client, elaborate information, asimilate it, and then… rest, disconnect, relax, good ideas appear when you’re doing something else.

When you come back to your desk, always, always, always, start doodling in a paper (or Photoshop). The idea is to face the white canvas relaxed, that way you disconnect your rational brain and activate less consious areas, where ideas aren’t managed by logic; ideas will start to unify, taking form.

If you can do this in some place or with someone that makes you feel good, a lot better.
Against creative block

After it comes, it has a difficult solution, just try to relax, walk, read a magazine, go out with friends… it’s better to lose 2 hours this way than losing the entire day in front of the canvas.

It’s better to prevent it, just organize your life so work isn’t a nightmare.

1. Don’t pick last-minute orders, or too much work.
2. Don’t work for people that doesn’t agree with your way of understanding design.
3. Plan work so you can have leisure time.
4. Make some short break every 1 or 2 hours.
5. Start your day with routine tasks to warm up, later, before you get tired, change to creative tasks.
6. Try to have varied orders: logos, websites, illustrations…
7. Take a nap every once in a while, the best ideas come up when you’re in that state between sleepy and awake.

Unfortunately it’s not easy to make this in the real practice of a designer. I guess that managing stress is another quality of a agood designer.
Feed your mind

A lot of people think i’m crazy when they see me playing a videogame and ask “You don’t work today?”… and i answer… “Can’t you see i’m working?”

We have to cultivate our visual culture, it’s part of our job, so from now on playing games, reading comics, going to the movies, visiting exhibitions or theme parks… that’s working. Everything that surrounds you can inspire your next design.
Don’t unattend your body

If you’re a designer, some of your biggest problems will be sedentarism, lumbalgia and the back pains will go with you your entire life, i guess i don’t even have to say that’s impossible to be creative when your back hurts.

That’s why i recommend you to make some time to play some sport, go to the gym, practice your favorite sport… try to be fit.

Same with the diet, eat varied, lots of fruits and vegetables. If you’re obese try to lose a little weight (i got up to 96 kilograms!!! now i weight 80kg).

To be creative you need to be happy, and this happens when you’re well phisically.
Technics to promote creativity

This technics normally need some training, and if possible, the presense of an expert to help you out, if it’s in group it’s better.

Here you have a website very complete about technics to promote creativity. Even if you don’t practice all of them, i suggest you to take a look, i’ll surely give you some good ideas.
Enjoy your work !!

It’s fundamental to implicate emotionaly with the design, like it, love your work, enjoy, take the order to your territory, make it a life style. If you don’t learn how to be creative in your personal life, the chances of being a creative designer are very few.

At the end everything is summed up in this, be happy with what you do, if you enjoy doing something, you’ll keep doing it.

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