Design Blocks- Writer's Block for the creative mind

I have never been happier to be an artist than I am these days. The more time I spend getting creative, the more at peace I become. Sometimes I forget these things in the wake of dealing with a particularly hard project. This can be true in all 3 areas of my life: work, home, and personal. Work life is easier to compartmentalize for the most part. Home life can wear me thin, sometimes even threadbare. Personal time for me is the time that's just for me, for my peace, no roles to play. It's ultimately the hardest to carve out and preserve, but it’s definitely the most rewarding. When I get enough of it, the benefits spill over into all areas of my life. Sometimes my personal time is about taking a walk through a damp forest trail or sitting on a vast beach at the lowest tides in the summer. It all sparks happiness and joy, which in turn recharges my creative battery. I feel energized and want to pour that energy into painting, building, or even making a creative meal. All of this helps me build the creative designs I dream up for my clients, but it also lets me be creative with my family and friends.  

Places and things that have inspired my creativity. Thoughtful, meaningful design happens organically.

Canada has so many inspiring places to see, and I feel lucky to have so many interesting places right outside my door or in central Canada (where I’m from) to fall back on when the days get dreary. I’m proud to be a part of this amazing mosaic of cultures and landscapes. I think this all adds to the value I bring to the table when I look at new projects in front of me. It feels comparable to the crayon boxes I got as a kid. I was always happy with any kind of creative tool, but man, oh man, was I inspired to draw with a 64-pack crayon set. The sky was the limit. All it took was the inspiration from the giant colour palette. Moments before, with my standard 16, all I would do was big colour blocks, almost like a writer's block. I was stuck and uninspired. until those new colour possibilities showed up.

To my other creatives out there reading this, try to remember to take time for you and for your artistic brain to be fed; your inspiration will flow more easily and arrive in the most interesting ways. If you find yourself stuck in a difficult project, take a break to get inspired and grounded in the wonders around you. They don’t need to be in some faraway place. Put a plate of nuts outside where you can watch them, and poof, you will

This is my dish of nuts for the critters that inspire me.

discover an entire ecosystem's drama unfold. You might just see colour combos you didn’t expect or different textures and angles. You just have to be willing to take the time. Not only will this fix your creativity block, but the ripples will spill over into the other areas of your life, and everyone in those rings will shift with you.

Creatives need inspiration when they get stuck or blocked by the restrictions around them. If you keep hitting a design wall, set the stage to inspire your creativity and let the good designs roll.

Melle Curtis -Designer