I have been passionate about creating for a long time, writing, handicrafts, designing, coding. Along the way, I have discovered different ways to get inspired and realised that inspiration can come from so many different places.
There can at times be so much pressure to constantly churn out outstanding designs and edits, that are relevant and current, to achieve approval from that particular audience. Then if it doesn’t achieve the expected results, there is disappointment and dissatisfaction. This cycle of pressure and stress can also cause burnouts.
I have learnt that there needs to be a more sustainable plan to gain inspiration, that cuts out the need for approval. Yes, it can be easier said than done, because we love to be appreciated for our work and efforts, especially in something we are passionate about. Having a supportive community, even if it’s just one or two friends that encourage and give constructive feedback, can go a long way.
The world around us is full of so many different things for us to be inspired by and experience and practice is a great teacher, as well as just resting sometimes and immersing in things we’re passionate about. When we’re more comfortable and feel less pressured, the ideas will come naturally, we can write them down, brainstorm and experiment to learn more things and have a great time doing it.
Design doesn’t need to tick a box for it to be good enough, being able to explore different things and have fun doing so is enough of a reward. It can be much harder with the pressures of social media, and it sometimes takes little reminders that it’s okay to not post all the time.
It’s okay to set time aside to rest your brain a bit and focus on other things for a while, whether it be work, studies or personal time. Ideas can come from such unexpected places and it will happen at the right time for each of us individually. It can take time to figure out when we feel we can produce something, but it’s a constant process and a journey that takes time, it will progress differently for all of us because we’re all unique and different people.
It’s also super encouraging to surround ourselves with people of like passion and interest who understand these feelings and can help support and encourage us, where sometimes it can be hard for us to encourage ourselves. It’s okay to have a slump, it’s okay to just take a break to clear our heads.
