Feel Free to Sound Weird to Improve Your Creativity.
Working in a creative field can seem overwhelming. You have your own unique style, but employers have their own ideas. However, you need your personal weirdness to make those creative juices flow.
As artist Becky Murphy explains, trying to bring your art in line with someone else’s style is a quick way to curtail your own creativity. Your ideas are part of what inspires you to be creative in the first place. Even if your employer or clients don’t necessarily want the dumber or weirder things you think about, experiment with them to keep your mind on your mind or lose ideas:
I worked for a design firm with these really nice guys. The “problem” is that they were good at things that I was not in the mood for. I was disappointed that I wasn’t as talented as they were and that I didn’t get the projects they had. Fast forward and eventually I started to REALLY adopt my silly illustrative style, I started to feel comfortable in my own hand-drawn skin. Our boss started giving me projects that allowed me to draw monsters and make weird lettering. It wasn’t a good branding, but it was the one that brought my work to life. We all excel at design the way we were created. This shift helped me celebrate their successes (and not see them as failures).
Creativity is not a mechanical process. You can’t always just turn it on and make something shiny come out. Inspiration takes work , but getting yourself into a box won’t help anyone. Don’t be afraid of your ideas. Who knows? Your boss may find what you were worried about the best in the world.
Becky Murphy | 5 questions to 100 designers in 99u