{"id":503,"date":"2010-02-27T00:00:26","date_gmt":"2010-02-27T00:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anotrealdomainfortesting.wordpress.com\/2010\/02\/27\/10-tips-for-creative-success\/"},"modified":"2010-02-27T00:00:26","modified_gmt":"2010-02-27T00:00:26","slug":"10-tips-for-creative-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bigstockphoto.com\/blog\/uncategorized\/10-tips-for-creative-success\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Tips for Creative Success"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Paint<\/a>
\nIf you are in a creative field, then you have most likely at one time or another encountered that dreaded feeling: Creative block. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it can make you question the merit of every idea you\u2019ve ever had.\u00a0 However, we can all take comfort in the fact that it strikes even the most talented of creative professionals. Here are ten tips to help you power through the toughest projects and succeed in every creative challenge.<\/p>\n

\"\"1. Embrace confusion.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Realize that creative haze is normal.\u00a0 Despite our wish to have a clearly defined path that leads us to the Big Idea, realistically that path can often be obscured by a thick cloud of haze.\u00a0 Be patient: you will eventually reach that moment of clarity. You may even be the person who leads everyone out of the smog.<\/p>\n

2. Understand your audience.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ask for a clearly defined target demographic for every assignment.\u00a0 With a more focused goal, you can better tailor your ideas and concepts so that they speak to your intended audience.<\/p>\n

3. Ask questions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Step outside of your office for a walk and talk to people about your product or design problem.\u00a0 You’ll be surprised at how many people are actually willing to stop and chat.\u00a0 Go to a nearby bookstore and browse the aisles for inspiration.\u00a0 Illustrations from a children’s book or even a cooking recipe may ignite the creative flame.<\/p>\n

4. Go back to basics.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you are at a standstill, just start laying elements out in their most elementary form, even if all you’ve got are the title, graphic and a small blurb.\u00a0 Take a step back and see the design problem for what it is.\u00a0 Then make it better.\u00a0 Add to it and eventually you will arrive at the solution.<\/p>\n

5. Seek inspiration.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Check out design annuals and awards books for inspiration.\u00a0 After all, those represent the work that\u2019s deemed to be the best in the\u00a0 field.\u00a0 But don\u2019t spend all your time looking at other people\u2019s work.\u00a0 The great ideas are within you\u2014you need to\u00a0 grab a hold of them and make them real.<\/p>\n

6. Know when to call it a night.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you hit a wall, it may be time to go home, get some sleep and come back refreshed.\u00a0 Good ideas that may have seemed great the night before may be revealed as less-than-inspired in the cold light of a new day.\u00a0 By the same token, it’s amazing how the ideas start to flow when you return to work rejuvenated.<\/p>\n

7. Listen and learn.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You may fall in love with a concept.\u00a0 It may seem like the idea of a lifetime\u2014but then it gets rejected.\u00a0 Your first instinct might be to fight for it but, before you do, take a step back.\u00a0 It might be well worth the fight but first solve the problem according to the conditions you\u2019ve been given.\u00a0 You might want to bring up the original concept again later, or you may find yourself moving on to something even better.<\/p>\n

8. Recognize that they\u2019re not just doodles.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve already got the talent but you have to keep the creativity flowing.\u00a0 The next time you go to a museum or watch a television show, jot down noteworthy pieces or clever scenes.\u00a0 Keep a notebook with you and write down thoughts and ideas that pop up.\u00a0 You never know when the clever bug might bite.<\/p>\n

9. Revisit the cutting room floor.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You start designing a few concepts and you end up with a collection of drafts, some good, some bad.\u00a0 Print them out, spread them out on the table and take a closer look at the ideas that you\u2019ve developed.\u00a0 Seeing them laid out this way helps you to compare the pieces and identify the ones that really shine.\u00a0 Let the good ones guide you and you\u2019ll end up with a masterpiece.<\/p>\n

10. Take the good and take the bad.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We all enjoy a warm pat on the back but that doesn\u2019t mean we should show our work to everyone in search for approval.\u00a0 Ask a few people whose creative opinions you trust to look at your work.\u00a0 Accept their advice and criticism along with their praise.\u00a0 If they tell you that the idea is not good, they might be right and it might be time to move onto your next idea.\u00a0 Embrace the bad news along with the good.<\/p>\n

Photo: \u00a9 Geir-Olav Lyngfjell\/Bigstock<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you are in a creative field, then you have most likely at one time or another encountered that dreaded feeling: Creative block. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it can make you question the merit of every idea you\u2019ve ever had.\u00a0 However, we can all take comfort in the fact that it strikes even…<\/p>\nRead More<\/a>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[177,178,179],"class_list":["post-503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-ideas","tag-success","tag-tips","col-sm-6"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcS8aA-87","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bigstockphoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/503","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bigstockphoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bigstockphoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bigstockphoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bigstockphoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=503"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bigstockphoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/503\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bigstockphoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bigstockphoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bigstockphoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}