Change your scenery

 November 30, 2016

Change your scenery

            Sometimes being crouched around your desk is not fun. Believe it or not, our environment plays a role in our creativity. Which is why it’s important that we keep our environment organized and clean. However, that’s not really my point of this blog. What I want to address is that we have to understand that there are lots of things that inspire our work. Which includes the environment that we live in or accommodate to. It can be the beautiful landscape you have right outside your back yard, the tall skyscrapers that tower over your city. And the ghetto run-down streets that no one cares about. Whatever it may be, we draw inspiration from the places we adapt to. Sometimes changing your scenery can do a lot for your creativity and give you new inspiration.

            When I’ve spent hours at my desk drawing and editing photos. I like to take a break and walk around outside for a while. By doing this, I am able to rest my brain for a moment and gain inspiration by what’s outside. Luckily I live right next to some gorgeous mountains. Nature and beautiful scenery always gives me motivation for anything. Sometimes I walk around with my camera to snap a few pictures for ideas. If I were to offer any creative person some advice is to change your scenery. Take a few minutes out from your day to get connected with what’s around you. Take a walk down the street or a park that’s nearest to you. When we change our scenery we become susceptible to the things around us.

Revisit Your Childhood

 November 25, 2016

Revisit Your Childhood

            As a child most of didn’t care about what we did. We didn’t care about what we looked like, our success, or anything in that nature. All we really cared about was having fun and being creative. That’s exactly how we should all be when it comes to our creativity. The problem is that many of us become more logical as we get older. Which is okay because it’s normal, it’s all part of becoming an adult. Our Judgment is important but if it comes in too early it can hinder our creativity. The best way to overcome this problem is to think less. Put yourself in the shoes of when you were a child. Think about the reactions and emotions you had about creating something. When we think less were able to create more than judging our actions. When we revisit our childhood we’re able to become inspired and excited.

            When I was a child I would say that my favorite thing in the world was playing with Legos. I loved being able to create and build things from my imagination. There was no plan or guide to help me during this process. I guess I would say that all my ideas were driven from my enthusiasm. In a way this is exactly how we should approach our creative thinking. We should be excited about what we’re creating. And think less about the outcome; sometimes our greatest ideas come from this approach. A good exercise for this is to draw on a piece of paper with your eyes closed. This will train you to think less so you cannot make any judgments until the drawing is finished. When we think less about our actions and allow our imagination to take over, great things will happen.

Rest

November 16, 2016

Rest

            From my previous blog I talked about the importance of working hard. As much as its important to work hard. It’s also important to rest; the reason why I say that is because we can become drained creatively. I can talk from experience where there have been times I have burned myself out. As creative people we get caught up in our work. I understand that most of us are very passionate about what we do. That sometimes can hinder our ability to rest and concentrate on other things. There have been moments where I neglected sleep, eating, and socializing with family and friends. It’s extremely important that we do not forget about our physical needs, such as food and sleep. Make sure you are getting the rest you need to fuel your creative drive.

            One way I trained myself to take breaks when I’m working is to set a time. Set a specific time aside that will allow you to get away from your work. That time should be used to relax, eat, exercise, and spend time with family. Nothing should be geared towards your work or anything else related. For example, anytime I am working on a project, like a graphic design logo. I primarily give myself anywhere from 2-3 hours of work time. After that time is spent I take a one-hour break from my work to relax. When we take breaks it allows us to gain more momentum. So when we go back to our work we are more focused and productive. Resting is very much needed for our creativity. Be sure you are giving yourself enough downtime so you can become more strong-minded.

Work Hard, Stay Humble

 November 10, 2016

Work Hard, Stay Humble

            Staying humble I believe should be a necessity for everyone, including artists and creative people. The more we grow and advance as artists the easier it is to become prideful. I know this because it’s something I have experienced myself over the years. There was a time I let my ego and pride get the best of me. And I can admit that I suffered for it for a long period of time. Which totally obstructed my character and kindness towards people. The crucial part of overpowering your pride is to just humble yourself. Learn to become modest and open your mind to new things. As you progress as an artist you should also progress as a person. Work on developing your personality as you perfect your craft.

            The first thing you should take into consideration is that “you’re not the best”. You must admit to yourself that you don’t know it all and you make mistakes, just like everyone else. There’s always going to be another person that is potentially better than you. Learn to use that as motivation to progress yourself, however be aware of comparison. When we start to compare our selves with other people it can lead to arrogance. Secondly, don’t be afraid to admit your failures, understanding your flaws as a creative individual is one of the best things. It helps improve your craft and motivates you to become better. When we confess our mistakes were able to admit to our ego that we are not perfect. Remember to work hard and stay humble.

How to Handle Criticism

 November 1, 2016

How to Handle Criticism

            If there’s one think I can admit and understand is feedback from the general public, whether it’s good or bad. I tend to struggle on a regular basis on accepting positive and harsh remarks. Which I know is a common thing amongst many artists and creative people. Its very easy to be let down by people’s comments and critical feedback. Over the years I have become better at handling criticism. The major key is how you response and act towards feedback. Are you going to embrace it? Or you going to act on your emotions, which I encourage you not to do. In this blog I will give you some helpful tips on how to handle criticism.

            The main thing you have to take into consideration when you’re being critique by someone. Is that you have to understand yourself as an artist and your creative entity. You should know yourself well to know what you like and don’t like. Your personality and perception is what should determine your response. Don’t let criticism bring you down. I’ve been in situations where I let certain people’s opinions convolute my mind. Which lowered my self-esteem and hindered my creativity. My point is, don’t take hurtful remarks too seriously, sometimes you just need to guard your heart once in a while. However it’s always great to listen carefully to what others have to say.

Blocking out noise and negativity is needed in some cases. However, you should also learn to be open-minded and appreciate feedback. Sometimes feedback is not always welcomed and admired. Though it should be required because it allows us to take in certain elements that help us grow. It enables us to learn and see new things from a different perspective. Which helps us evolve as creative people. I tend to thing of criticism as suggestions and ideas from new perspectives. Be considerate when you are critiqued. These are some helpful tips I have learned throughout my life. I would not necessarily say they are right, just some helpful things I have learned from experiences.