Lost it
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- CyBrainX
Have you ever felt like you lost your creative ability? Ever feel like you can't design anymore? Ever realize you're not conceptual?
What did you do? Work harder? Take a break? Choose another career? Have sex? Get drunk?
It hasn't been all bad, but I've been going through a rough period since the Spring.
- tara|gee0
step away from teh intorweb!
- DutchBoy0
well if you lose your sense of concept, then you may need to redefine it's purpose to yourself.
read up.
things that helped me a lot is to become strict on myself, to find out what values in design apply best for certain audiences etc.
the odd thing is, i have never felt so secure about myself this last year.. i must say i have been reading more then ever before so that might help too!
chin up man!
:)
- Beech0
Yeah, i think everyone goes through times when they are not feelng creative. No one is creative all the time.
- iDp0
I think dutchboy is right, reading more has really helped me. Although I did post a thread trying to find my mojo yesterday...I started reading a new book last night and its really got me thinking some more.
Also drawing sometimes helps as well as lack of sleep and not visiting sites for inspiration.
- DutchBoy0
true, Beech.
ups and downs. everything has it's tides.
- DutchBoy0
hey, iDp you finally got those books we spoke about earlier?
- iDp0
no I didnt...but I asked for them for x-mas. None of the stores in my hood had them. But I got a book called 'Problem Solved'...seems pretty good so far.
- tara|gee0
hmm i always go to nyc when i feel this way ;)
zakka!
- Beech0
reading design books can help too. just don't let other peoples creativity make you feel insecure. I was flicking through my copy of house industries book last night. damn those guys are amazing.
- nick0
well, i suggest you take a step back from it all first. get off the internet, go outside, be social, live a little life.
then if you're still feeling slumpy, get to reading like these other dudes said... design related material is always a big inspiration for me.. and even reading non-design related stuff can be great too. if you want a suggestion for a GREAT non-design book, pick up Murakami's "the wind up bird chronicle"
- iDp0
it used to be so much fun when tara would call me or leave weird text messages on my mobile.
:)
- CyBrainX0
Thanks. These are all good suggestions. Any good books specifically? I used to love design annuals back in school days.
I've been spoiled. I haven't felt this way in my 10 years designing.
- DutchBoy0
i can also highly recommend to read non-design books, or literature that parallels or touches the core of our profession, such as science, psychology etc. Really helped me a lot!
and iDp, link me tha mutha, will ya?
- iDp0
Sagmeisters 'Made you Look' - not so much for the work but for the guys approach to creativity.
- tara|gee0
imnot allowed to anymore nick scolded me - cant make new threads either
sorry
- iDp0
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obido…
Thats the one. It has a lot of running dialog and covers 18 problems that designers face in certain projects, and goes through the thought processes. My new thing is seeing why other designers apply different solutions to problems.
Another really good book like this is:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obido…its a bit more contemporary and takes these really cool projects...and has other designers take a crack at them and then explain why they did it a certain way. Its pretty cool to see the diversity that other designers have when given the same project.
- DutchBoy0
damn good recommendations!
cheers, iDp!
- nick0
some good design things to read:
the GAS book series is awesome... they've featured something like 20 designers total now.. [each designer having his/her own book]... and it takes you through a handful of their best work, with their conceptual thinking behind the works as well as many pages of pretty photos. i have the laurent fétis, genevieve gaukler, geoff mcfetridge, ryan mcguiness, big active & work in prog books... all superb!
right now im reading a book on Paul Rand called "Paul Rand: Modernist Designer" - ive only begun it, but its already taught me some great stuff. also recommend a book i have on Saul Bass.... really, read up on some of the great thinking designers of our era... so inspiring.
i also really dug this book i have on an experimental school in .nl called the Werkplaats Typografie.. full of great essays about their methodology etc
ooohhhh and probably the best non-design book you could read would be Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead" or "Atlas Shrugged" - they'll probably change your life.
i also have the Directors Label DVD Box set [music vid directors] and thought the Michel Gondry DVD was so fucking inspiring as well... i love that guy.
all the best,
- nick0
and btw, you can get all of that between YWFT and Amazon!
- DutchBoy0
"i also really dug this book i have on an experimental school in .nl called the Werkplaats Typografie.. full of great essays about their methodology etc"
WORD!
did never know this one was read abroad.
i dig some other recommendations as well, nick! thx a lot!