Mark McGuinness from Lateral Action wrote an article today that I really connected with. It’s about how you don’t need to be a creative genius to achieve success, but for me, it was about perfectionism. Did you know that Michelangelo destroyed much of his work because it didn’t measure up to his lofty expectations? Wow.
Now I don’t consider myself a Michelangelo, but I do relate to the fact that creative professionals are really hard on themselves. In a way, this is good, because that means our work is constantly evolving and getting better. In another way, it can cause a real creative Ice Age.
One of my “things” is that I look at design SO much. I absolutely immerse myself in all sorts of design. And not just good design, either. I am always looking for ways to improve upon whatever visual design I see.
The downside to this is that I can spot a trend a mile away. And a lot of them repulse me. Not because they’re bad trends, but because I see them over and over and over again. Sometimes they seep into my work, sometimes not. But when I purposefully try to keep them out, my brain starts stuttering. I subconsciously won’t even let an idea develop if I can’t keep out overdone design trends.
Obviously, I have to check my inner editor at the door when brainstorming, or I’ll never get anything done. Perfectionism and creativity go together like SNL and funniness these days. (What is UP with that show? I appreciated the political skits, but man. The rest is sadly…pretty sad.)
Here’s an interesting post featuring designs that clients didn’t choose. I love hearing the reactions of other designers to their clients’ decisions. Because ultimately, the final outcome is the client’s decision. The most complicated thing about being a designer is educating your clients and coming up with solutions that work for everybody (most especially the users!). I’ve personally noticed several types of design mentalities:
- The “client is always right” mentality
The client pays, the designer does what they say…end of story. After all, give the people what they want, right? In a sense, yes. But designers should be more concerned about truly serving their clients — not just doing what they say. Often the thing that the client wants is not what they THINK they want.
- The “designer is always right” mentality
They’re the designer after all…they know what they’re talking about. They are highly educated in their field, it’s true. But the client has experience in their own field that the designer does not have. Their perspective is highly valuable if the end result is going to be effective for the market that they are trying to serve.
- The “we’re a team” mentality
Rah rah sis boom bah…designer plus client equals successful completion of goals. (I suggested that we use that cheer as our studio motto, but for some reason it wasn’t adopted. I’m hurt.) In an ideal scenario, the designer does what they do best (design) and the client does what they do best (make sure that their market is being served.) Everybody’s happy.
So the real trick is setting up those expectations in the beginning. Still figuring that one out, but I have noticed that it’s much easier to do in person than over the phone. When we can shake our clients’ hands and they can look into our eyes, it’s much easier for us to develop the trust needed to work well together.
One of the hardest things about my job as a creative professional is coming up with that great idea, time after time after time. When you’re being paid by the hour, the pressure’s on to come up with something quick AND good…hopefully great.
I was reading this article today by Tim Berry, one of the Entrepreneur gurus, and it sparked that idea in my head…what is it that gets my juices flowing? And how can I ensure that I give myself the optimal advantage to be able to come up with those ground-breaking ideas again and again? Here are my thoughts so far:
- Reading good books
- Talking with people who are doing Great Things
- Attacking each day with the motivation to create something significantly beautiful
- Getting enough sleep
- Spending time away from the computer
- Noticing the beauty around me and using it to spark a bigger idea
- Keeping track of my ideas
That last one has been elusive for me so far. I haven’t yet had the discipline to keep track of my ideas. I’m going to make it a part of my routine to sit down for 15 minutes every day and find one thing that sparks a new idea. Not only will I be disciplining myself to think creatively on a regular basis, but I will be creating a well that I can draw from when the ideas aren’t flowing as easily.
Marisa has an INCREDIBLE podcast out today on how she dealt with money in the beginning of her creative journey. It was such an inspiration to me that I had to share it. Her views on debt and “making it” are so encouraging. I personally feel like a ton of weight has been lifted off of my shoulders just from listening to her speak.
You can do it. YOU CAN. Just a friendly reminder. 
