A lot of people desire to be creative and make the visions they have in their mind come to life. The problem, is that they don't know where to start. It's hard to become something when you're not exactly sure what that thing looks like. I've been thinking about how I started exercising my creativity, and even what I do now that allows me to become a better designer, writer, and whatever else I choose to be.
For most of my designs, I used Adobe products, mainly Adobe Illustrator, but I'm trying to use Photoshop more too. If you are a student, you can get ALL of the adobe apps (there are tons) for $19.99 a month. But heads-up, after a year, the price goes up to $30. But this is still better than the normal price. The apps take a little while to get used to, but that's where youtube comes in handy. When I was first starting out, I used photoshop because that's what the person I looked up to was using (shout out Allie Schaal). I remember that all of the tools and layers were so confusing and intimidating to me. I had no idea of what I was doing. But as I started to watch Allie, I began to get the hang of it. One of the main things she taught me is that there is more than one way to get a desired look or outcome. If you can't figure out how to do something, go the unconventional way, mess around with the app until you figure out what to do. I was so afraid of messing up, but that's what helps you to learn. If you are working on a project and all of a sudden don't know what to do next, go to youtube and look up tutorials for what you're working on. There are a bunch, and one of them is bound to help you out.
A lot of my ideas will start out with me being inspired by other people. I often look to Pinterest, instagram figures, and even some of my friends to figure out what I should do next. I don't copy exactly what they do, but seeing their projects helps me to see some different styles and know that it's okay to think outside of the box. If there's one thing that has been drilled into me over my lifetime, it's to always be in a constant state of learning. Once I have finished learning something, teach what I know, and then learn something else. This keeps you from being bored, improves your skills, and helps other people.
Here are some things I look to for inspiration:
Podcast: Jen Gotch. The Daring Romantics. The Accidental Creative.
Youtube: Graphic Design Theory Class. Photoshop Tutorials.
Books: How to Steal Like an Artist. Share Your Work. Creativity Takes Courage. Design is a Job. The Accidental Creative.
People: Jen Gotch. Caterina Bianchini. GirlBoss. Monica Friese. Lindsey Pruitt. Hosanna Wong. Deun Ivory. Lauren Ash. Jessica Walsh. Laci Jordan. Temi Cooker. H Collective. Allie Schaal. Quentin Swenke. Rebeca Perez. Adrienne Leonard.
Pinterest: Studio 9 Co. Lindsey Pruitt. Lindsey Eryn.
But honestly, just start wherever you can. Look for inspiration, save projects that you like and figure out how you can try and emulate that style. If you feel like trash at first, or don't like what you make, it's okay. Ask any creative person how they feel about their work, and I'm sure that they will have at least one negative thing to say. Any time I do any type of project, they never turn out how I expected them to, but for some reason, people still end up liking what I make. Even if you don't feel it, keep trying, I promise that you will get better. Like me, you'll look back on your previous projects and see how far you have come.
Thanks for reading,
Kae
Comments