The quality that distinguishes graphic designers from other professionals is the ability to think creatively. Designers are best known for their design aesthetics and sense of identity development. Now imagine if a graphic designer runs out flat of this exceptional trait…what would happen? Just consider for a second that your creativity and resourcefulness depletes to the extent that you cannot think of a single idea.

A graphic designer without creative instincts is like a locomotive without an engine. Your concept generation skills are paramount to your profession and you must make sure your creativity doesn’t dries out. So how does a graphic designer keep his creative juices flowing constantly?
Here are 8 simple yet effective ways of boosting your creative level in the field of graphic design:

1. Do Away With Pessimism:

The first thing that we need to do as graphic designers is stay optimistic. We must learn to believe in ourselves and our ability to think creatively. Most designers fail to think resourcefully because they lose their inner confidence. They fear that they might have reached a level of maturity where your creative skills diminish. But the truth of the matter is…creativity has no age limits.

2. Be an Entrepreneur - Take Risks:

In order to try something new, you must be daring and ready to take risks. Much like an entrepreneur, who never shies away from challenges and is willing to take risk in establishing a novel business venture. Likewise, graphic designers should also be willing to take risk in trying out new and different design concepts. So don’t be afraid, let your creativity run wild and you will find loads of fresh and novel logo design ideas and concepts.

3. Keep a ‘Creative Circle’:

There is a common saying “If you can’t beat them, join them”. Another easy way of staying creative is by surrounding yourself with a ‘creative circle’. A creative circle would include all the people and associates who are known for their dexterity and design intelligence. It is said that man learns from whatever environment he is exposed to. Hence, make sure that your environment is a creative and resourceful one.

4. Always Keep a Pen and Paper:

Many a times, you are sitting somewhere and a great idea pops into your mind. But you decide to work on it later and eventually forget it afterwards. In order to avoid wasting your creative thinking capacity, always carry a pen and paper with you. Or even more convenient in the age of technology is to use your notebooks and iPhones to jot down the bits and pieces of brilliance that come into your head.

5. Make Mistakes:

Another thing that stops most designers from thinking imaginatively is fear of making mistakes. Their apprehension is that if they think excessively, they might end up committing a major error. But in reality, one learns from his mistakes. It is well said that “The person that doesn’t make mistakes is unlikely to make anything.”

6. Be Liberal with Other’s Opinions:

Creativity is not always inherited or inborn. Sometimes you have to learn from your environment and peers by listening to their opinions and suggestions. Some designers have a knack of not keeping an open-mind when it comes to other’s views. In order to stay creative, you must be welcoming and liberal to client criticism and feedback.

7. Don’t be a Workaholic:

I remember my early days as a graphic designer when I used to be an extreme workaholic. Being relatively new to the professional graphic design world, I used to panic a lot and work day in day out on my assignments. It used to drain the creative juices out of me. Hence, my advice is never to be a workaholic as your mind needs adequate rest to think productively.

8. Get Inspiration from Design Galleries:

Sometimes a little inspiration is what you need to get your creative spark back on track. In order to that, there is no dearth of inspiration spots on the internet these days. There are many sites like Behance and deviantart that showcase inspirational designs from aspiring graphic designers. These sites will help you get your creative engine running back again.

What methods do you employ to stay creative as a graphic designer?