Staying inspired is hard

Okay look, you don’t suck at design.
Creative blocks are an just an inevitable process in design.

But here's the truth: as a graphic designer, if you're just viewing 2D art for inspiration, you're simply missing out. My personal note is to learn to gather inspiration from all corners of the art world: 3D art, illustration, photography, cinematography, and beyond.

Now, how do I practice this? Every Monday, without fail, currently 73 weeks in, I build two moodboards. This little experiment of mine trains the brain and it's incredibly simple. One moodboard is just cool stuff you’ve seen and want to save, that's it. The other however is a mood board that focuses on a specific design feature I love, and I dive into it. I gather 8-10 projects that share the same art direction or solution and place it inside my board. This practice of 'hyper focusing' helps me understand different creative solutions to a similar vision and how I might integrate them into my own work.

Example One | Example Two | My collection

This alone may feel like extra work, but it’s actually going to eliminate work in your future and you’ll thank yourself later.

An Inspiration Love Story

What do I use to find dope projects to gather? Pinterest. I know, I used to poke fun at Pinterest lovers too, but trust me, it's currently the best design inspiration management tool out there. Quote me on it. The smart related search, the ability to tune your feed to your liking, it's all incredible. Being able to also manage your board by going into the top right settings -> and tune your home feed. Being able to turn off/on certain styles of design to get better curated projects sent your way. Crazy (and also not sponsored, I just love it). But Pinterest isn't the only thing I use weekly, I use Saveeit, Behance, Awwwards, and Instagram too (in that order).

At the end of the day though when you do this practice, you have to be open to why certain styles are popular and what was the artist trying to communicate. Being in love with a certain style is amazing and appropriate for your own career development. But being able to AT LEAST understand where any artist is coming from with their choice in art direction is big. If you are automatically turned off by other styles of art, you might be turning off any chance of understanding a new type of communication.

There is not a single individual style that can communicate effectively every project you’ll do in your design career.

Otherwise art would just be boring.

I get it though, it's tough when you feel you're "losing inspiration or motivation." We all have those moments, me included. The key, I find, is to ensure you have a purpose. What is the design for? Can I update a project? Can I create something for my favorite entertainer? Can I build a visual brand to an idea I had?

That's where your inspiration board comes in, a constant source of fresh ideas. It’s like having a directory of design you know you’ll already love anddd how to do it.

The Power of Mentors

If you're feeling stuck constantly, lean into getting a mentor. In fact, get a few! Having multiple mentors in different fields can give you new perspectives when you hit a roadblock. But remember, ask the right questions. Detailed, specific, thought-out questions. This will help them guide you more effectively. They cannot answer -

You: "why am I unmotivated to finish this project?”

You need to ask the question formed differently to solve a problem that you need to be aware of. If you don’t have a problem you can ask, you never had a solution. Design is communication first, making it pretty comes second.

Better phrased question: "Hey I've been working on this project that needs to maintain a mood of feeling uneasy, but not aggressive. I've handled a lot of the messaging which I think will help, but I don't understand how to make it feel less aggressive and turn people off".

That way your mentor can take your approach and ask you the right questions to help hash out an idea that could work.
Game. Changing.

And if your next question is - How do I get a mentor?

Most won’t budge until they see something they like, or a connection you may have that can share an introduction email. Think of it as a perk you can get after you show your proof of concept (good design).

Remember

You're not alone in your creative journey. We all face blocks, lose motivation, and sometimes need a little help to get back on track. But that’s okay. It’s about embracing the unknown and always seeking that next source of inspiration. It could be the directory of mood boards that do it for you, who knows.

Keep creating,

Seso

Wanted to add, Check out my Everything Pack.
If you seriously feel lost on art directions, supporting assets, I would recommend the visit to the page and just learning a bit more.

It could be what fuels you. Forever.