For anyone working as a designer in the fashion industry, creativity is the essential part of their existence and most of the time, they feel frustrated and depressed if those creative juices dry up. It’s hard to handle the fact that your creativity isn’t at the level you want it to be, but there are many ways to get back on track.
Creativity is like a muscle – it needs to be exercised and strengthened all the time and luckily, there are many outlets for creativity. It only takes making that first step. With that in mind, here are several steps you can take to help you overcome the obstacles and be more creative.
Clear your mind
The first step towards rekindling your creativity is detoxing your mind. Negative thoughts, worries and stress are very destructive both for your mind and body as they interfere with your creative functioning and energy levels. It’s important to find ways to let these things go and learn how to relax.
This can be done in lots of ways: listening to your favourite music to boost your mind and mood, exercising to get more oxygen into your body and get your blood pumping, and journaling. The latter technique is a great way to open your mind and get more focus. By writing your worries and ideas down, you clear up space in your mind and alleviate the pressure. This can leave you refreshed and energized which will in return, get your creativity going.
Finally, you might just need some peace and quiet to be alone with yourself and your thoughts far from the madding crowds. Set aside 30 minutes every day to sit in silence. You can just lie down and relax, meditate and breathe, reflect and focus on things important to you.
Image by Ashim D’Silva on Unsplash
Put it on paper
In addition to journaling, ‘write it down’ or ‘sketch it out’ is a great creativity booster. Thousands of creative ideas run through your mind daily so it’s crucial you put them down on paper. It doesn’t matter if your writing ideas in sentences or you’re drawing sketches – whatever works best for you.
For a fashion designer, it can be useful to bring a little sketch notepad in the bag everywhere you go. It will allow you to sketch out your ideas as you go about and notice things around – you never know what you may see or who you may meet. Then, when you hit a creative block, go back to those sketches and notes and see if it causes a spark.
According to the teachings of a bachelor’s degree in fashion design, no fool-proof recipe for success exists. You need to work hard and be passionate about your work, but you also need to be willing and curious to learn so you could measure up to the world around you and its many faces. It takes a keen spirit and a sharp eye to notice all the fascinating tiny details.
Get curious as a designer
Possibly the best cure for blockage and boredom is curiosity and it typically leads to creativity. As Leo Burnett once said: “Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people.” So, awaken your curiosity again, start reading and learning new things, take some classes and start speaking with experts in your field to exchange ideas. Surround yourself with other creative people, communicate and cooperate with them and bounce ideas off each other.
Shift your perspective
Another way to boost your creativity is to get a new perspective. After a long day at the office or working from home and juggling daily responsibilities, it’s easy to get bored and stuck in the rut. At that moment, think about what will get you moving – it could be shopping, travelling or just a long walk in nature.
Travelling is very inspiring as it gives you the opportunity to explore different cultures, cuisines and people, all of which you can use as inspiration in your work. If you like art, visit a museum and if you love being outside, sit in a park and watch people going by. Anything that will break your routine can be beneficial. Even the smallest changes can help, such as taking another route home or walking on the other side of the street.
Check out other industries
Your creativity can be boosted by taking a look into other industries. For any designer, it’s important to check out your competition. Market research is crucial – it can help you understand how and why other businesses are so successful. By analysing their vision and method of work, you can get your creativity going and capitalize on it.
A similar thing happened to Amazon and eBay in the 90s – they realized things were moving online and they shifted their business there before anyone else did. The result? They have become the two biggest retailers in the world today.
Working as a professional in any field of creative arts is never easy and smooth. Periods of ups and downs are inevitable but the hardest one is certainly maintaining the levels of inspiration and creativity. When things get rough and you feel drained, take a step back, re-evaluate, take the steps listed here to help you re-boot and re-charge, and hopefully, get your creative juices flowing once again!
AUTHOR BIO: Jennifer Hahn Masterson is a lifestyle blogger and senior content strategist at Spread the Word Solutions digital marketing blog, having a keen interest in a wide array of topics related design, fashion and travels. In her leisure time, she likes to immerse herself in a good book and try to satisfy her perpetual wanderlust.
