What influences my creativity?
There are lots of things that influence my creativity but I wanted to blog about some specific things that influence me.
Fun and exciting designs
I love using sites like Pinterest and Behance to find other designs that inspire me. Sometimes I think seeing something similar to what you are doing can help solve an otherwise difficult problem.
Lately I have loved looking at website designs but I will always love magazine design. There’s always something so unique and interesting to look at and I think I have seen a lot of websites move in a similar path. Not only are magazine templates and designs popular, but the use of big bold type treatments, creatives uses of colors and type, and how you read websites these days are in vogue.
Learning from others, online classes, and in person workshops
I love taking classes and workshops. And it makes me happy that I can find classes on almost any subject now online. When I learn new ideas or get refreshed in old ones, I find that I have a lot more creativity for my projects.
Instagram, Twitter and other social media
Although I think it’s not good to spend so much time on social media, I do think that it’s strengths in connecting people can lead to a lot of cool collaborations and ideas that might have not happened otherwise. I think it’s especially useful for getting feedback from your peers to see what you can improve on.
I have been on Pinterest and Instagram a lot especially to spark my creativity. Pictures, after all, speak a thousand words. And I get a lot of inspiration for designs I make, new ways to bookbind, and fun ideas for my writing. I even use Spotify and podcasts a lot to spark inspiration.
Reading books
One of my biggest sources of inspiration are books. I love reading books, both fiction and non fiction. Especially science fiction and fantasy. I find that reading really sparks my curiosity and my creativity and makes me excited to try new ideas. Especially if its from an interesting book, I like to try and sketch stuff from what’s being described in the text.
I think these days, people miss out on the joy of reading and how exciting it can be when it sparks new ideas. Lately, I’ve been reading through my collection of books on graphic design, typography, and other concepts that I got in college through classes or professors. And I’ve been looking at more books about design and creativity that I would like to read.
Exploring nature
Being out in nature not only relaxing, but also healthy and inspiring. There is a reason that we love art about nature because it inspires us. I think that taking the time to be outside and appreciate nature has been really beneficial not only to my mental health, physical health, but also my creativity.
In the next coming year, I think it will be important to explore more ways we can be eco-friendly and we will see a spike in designs that feature more eco-friendly methods. Therefore, I think it’s important to pay attention to trends in this area. Not only that, but people really enjoy products when they bring in natural elements. Even in the digital world, we can use natural textures, colors, and other elements to make our websites and apps seem more natural.
Fabrics, textures, and other patterns
I’ve always been really into fabrics and patterns, I think it’s the tactical part about them that I enjoy. Feeling silk, seeing a pretty fabric, or a fun print on something sparks a lot of joy. As a kid, I loved rummaging through my mom and my aunt’s scraps of fabrics to see what delighted me. And I like to bring that same enjoyment to my work. In college, I wrote an essay about the math of fractals which I found fascinating and that tied into my creative side. I never realized how mathematical patterns really could be and that there is a sort of logic to them.
Being around other creatives
I love connecting with other creative people because I have a lot to learn from others and because other people can shine light on any issues I might be having with an idea. I also enjoy meeting with new people and finding out what they do. I enjoy being a part of AIGA and other groups, especially in person, but online as well. There is just something about creativity that almost requires you to want to share what you’re doing with the world or connect over it with people.
Working with hands on projects
I have been really into bookbinding lately and I have always loved creating jewelry. There is something really satisfying about it, seeing something you’ve worked hard on come to fruition in real life. And I find it to be really relaxing and fun.
I also enjoy it because it’s something that doesn’t need to be connected to the internet to enjoy. So it’s a way to take a break from the internet and just be present in real life. It can also be really challenging in a different way and I get to make things that I really love. And experiment with new ideas.
“What influences or sparks your creativity?”
