designer depression?
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- fuckfascists
ever get those days/months where gorgeous work does not inspire, but it hinders? it doesnt make you want to create something that gorgeous, it just upsets you because you havent? where you cant bear to create and just cry? ive been going through this for a while now...
i think it is fading though, which is good. perhaps it was from not designing for a few months. although that hurt to do, and made me seriously consider other options.so, do any of you get like this? or have you had long periods of sadness and loss of love for what you do? how did you get out of it?
btw, missed you guys. <3
- enobrev0
that's what got me into coding 5 years ago.
- sexypixel0
the corporate world will always suck you dry, you gotta have outlets, do something for yourself everyweek, learn a language, make a chair, light a fire, smash some windows, just dont (cliche coming) let the bastards grind you down.
- brundlefly0
get more sleep, get more exercize.
and watch lots of cheesey sci fi...
ie Logans Run, Fantastic Planet etc...
- unknown0
of course ff. But that's the part of our lives as creatives. There's no best, there will always be someone better then you. But look at it this way, it really doesn't matter how technical you are. The whole depression arises when you see someone's work technically better executed then yours, it's not the design aspect of it. So keep this in mind, the world is extremely big, the market craves for good ideas, not technical perfection. For some businesses, it's totally inappropriate to go way to deep into some animation mambo jumbo, super duper interfaces and stuff like that. You will get rid of depression if you find your target audience. Clients that praise your work and have need for your own style. Then you won't really care and it won't make you depressed when you see Nike's brand new site by multimillion dollar RGA for example. It will inspire you in a sense to try to expand your style, but you won't get depressed because you have your target audience who looks at you as their perfect creative partner.
The cure for everything is planning and organization, setting your goals, client group, your style and project organization. If you have these, you won't even think about others' projects. Don't forget, design is great, but you have to look at it as business which has a primary goal to make money.
Keep it real, bro.
Boz
- unknown0
oh yeah and learn to say NO. Don't accept projects that will make you miserable. Don't underprice yourself.
-B
- believe0
there's always zoloft !!
but the problem might be because you are working for boring clients. Just Love what you do know matter what and only work for clients that suit your style.
As far as a career change - there is always internet porn, which gives 2 fucks about design!
- Self_Induced0
Mmm...zoloft.
- iDp0
xanax and beer!
- believe0
zoloft -
when you know more about designing like crap - than you do about feeling like the mac.
- Self_Induced0
nice freestyle
- unknown0
I'm in that slump now, maybe for different reason, but alsump none the less. Mine stems from the fear of failing as I'm new tho this racket. It sems at every turn there's some new twist tha kocks me down. Just got otta keep getting up I guess.
- vespa0
i kinda miss that fear - it makes you do your best work.
- goygoygoy0
i usually get outside and find some inspiration in nature: colors, vegetables and animals usually bring me peace. I think the best way to avoid such bad periods is to go far from the medium you use to create...
- enobrev0
i absolutely agree... there's a good change you're jsut ready to create something other than the norm. cretivity is based on inspiration and inspiration on soemthing new...
if you've been using the same outlet for long enough, the newness dissapates and the dominoes fall.
create something else, somewhere else.. like conversations with strangers or naked body imprints at the park.
and if al lelse fails, drugs are good temporary stimulus.
- fuckfascists0
mmm drugs ;D
youre right though that it was the corporate world pulling me down. ofen times i feel more like a graphic artist than a designer. perhaps im just too thick headed to design for clients with awful taste, or to hunt people down for the measly pay or to talk myself up like im some sort of god to get clients. bleh to that. BLEH I SAY!
- oeuf0
I'm living this right now. Still in school but doing freelance on the side. I'm trying to work on about 10 projects at the same time. Time management is a hard thing to master.
- paulrand0
bleh! BLEH! I feel you!
- pen150
if u base ur worth on making pretty things n ppls reaction 2 it, n u arent achieving either, then u will get depressed.
- Peter0
I don't see anything to get depressed about:
We are in the service sector, satisfying clients and customers; we are not artists. We do commercial design that isn't meant to be framed and hung up on the wall. That is commercail design - our job - while the rest of the people work with far more unglamorus shiet, taking far more shit from whomever the're dealing with. Therefor, be happy about this job and this industry you're in.
Above all, be happy that the harsch words from your client is just "change this color to green" rather then...