Being a creative is often mentally draining. Every day you have come up with a completely original idea, design it, produce it, rinse and repeat. Every so often, all that creativity jcomes to a screeching halt. Without rhyme or reason. You just can't. Literally. Can't.
If you're like me: you sorta panic. Why? Your entire job depends on your ability to create but you just can't seem to create at the moment. There's a block and your mind and it's stoping you from doing your job.
When this happens what do you do? Some people might suggest you take a walk, exercise or even drink some wine. When you get creative block, the first thing you should do is take a deep breathe. You can get the creative engine going again. You just need something to jump start it.
Here is some of the websites I visit when I need inspiration:
Behance I love Behance. It's has an expansive collection of artwork, artist and even tutorials. It's easy to get lost in all amazing things that people come up with. I use it daily as apart of my ideation research to encourage me think outside the box.
DeviantArt Everyone knows DeviantArt. I can't find a youtuber or instagramer that doesn't ask you to visit their page and subscribe. While it's a great place to earn money from art, it's also a great way to build a community. Having a community of artist definitely helps me get over creative blocks but also helps me prevent them.
Spruce Rd. This website is dedicated to supporting freelancers. They have a ton of great resources and offer design assistance as well. I mostly pay attention to their newsletters. Their topics always give me something new to think about. Sometimes, I love to visit their page just for fun. I am enamored with their design--clean, simple and straight to the point.
BrandNew BrandNew is like Weight Watchers ads for graphic designers. It shows the before and afters of rebranded companies including logos and marketing materials. It can be very useful when I am looking to simplify and refresh a design. Again, it's another inspiring place to see the cool things designers come up with when rebranding. It never fails to inspire me to improve my design skills.
Pinterest The obvious answer is always Pinterest. But I think people fail to realize how much Pinterest has. There are literally so many pins to either teach you how to do something or just to see what other people have done. Each pin usually links to one of the website above or a random blogger. Pinterest is always the fastest, most reliable way to get more inspiration.
Etsy Looking at art people have personally handcrafted really inspires me and, in a way, empowers me. I get so engrossed looking at letterpress-ed designs or quirky offerings that are all custom made. Every time I visit Etsy, I really have to stop myself from ordering every cool thing I see.
Look back at your own art! Creatives are an amazing bunch of people. When I go through each of these sites, I am constantly reminded at the amazing things people can create with their own two hands. You are a creative too. I guarantee you have some cool things in your portfolio that can remind you how capable you are. Use those past projects, whether good or bad, and lessons learned to inspire yourself on the daily.
If you're wondering how you can you prevent art block from happening in the first place; the answer is simple: constantly surround yourself with inspiration. Remind yourself that within you lies an artist literally DYING to express themselves. As Ramon in Happy Feet said, "You got to let it out. Let it out!"
Have a suggestion, comment down below! I would love to hear what tips you have even if it's eating random foods.
As always, good luck my friend!