Many people assume that artist and designers simply get to “play” all day in Photoshop, work when we feel like it, and  do what we love. While that last part is too, the rest is a list of very poor assumptions.

The feeling of creative block is one of the most frustrating things and artistic person can encounter. The key is to take little breaks that help you boost your creativity so you can move forward. In order to avoid burnout, you need to learn to avoid or work through your creative blocks.

HOW TO AVOID CREATIVE BURN OUT

Just walk away

Sometimes we can be too close to something, are start looking at it too hard. Getting some distance and perspective may be for the best. Take a break, go for a walk, work on something completely fun, listen to music or take in a movie. All work and no play won’t just make you dull, it will make you crash and burn-out. Taking the time to relax may allow you to come across inspiration from an unexpected source, so that when you get back to the grind the ideas will flow more freely.

Look for inspiration wherever you can

Sometimes looking for inspiration can be as simple as keeping an amazing desktop background, browsing deviantart and behance or even looking through some of your old work. You could also take inspiration by taking a stroll through you local bookstore and checking out the cover at and typography on magazines, books, or DVDs. Personally I prefer to find inspiration by listening to music and reading comic books.

Do something else

Take sometime to do something else. You may secretly be preoccupied with other things, take the time to do them and if not find something else to do to take your mind off the task at hand. Even if you love what you do, it could be a case of “too much of a good thing”. Sometimes I find that I’m getting tired of Photoshop, but rather than just not do any digital art or design I will do something like take a poem and do some creative typography in Indesign, or work on some new vectors in Illustrator for a change of pace.

Learn something new

There’s nothing more draining than a monotonous tasks. It’s important for your growth as a creative to find new challenges. Tackle a skill you’ve never developed, or a piece of software you don’t know like the back of your hand. Try putting a new spin on a piece of old work that could have been a little better.

Power through

Sometimes when nothing else works you simply have to give yourself a breather and just power through. This is easier said than done.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Roberto Blake

Roberto Blake is a Professional Graphics Designer and Photographer, living in Fayetteville NC, has work been working with Photoshop® for over 8 years now, and Flash® for the past 5 years.

Website – Twitter – Facebook – More Posts