[ HOW TO BE CREATIVE ] Design for Specialization by Eric Buckalew January 20th, 2011 Have you ever been asked, "Where did you get that idea?" or "How did you come up with that idea?" In any project or art piece you have ever done, I am sure someone, at sometime has asked you this question, and most of us cannot answer them. I have been asked this from time to time, it has made me wonder, where does creativity come from, and how do we get the creative juices flowing? So, I made a list of all the different ways that I come up with ideas, and I keep coming back to two basic things - mind-mapping and inspiration. For some of you, I know what you are thinking, "What in the world is mind-mapping?" But this will have to wait just a moment, because it is important to note that inspiration can come in so many forms. For example, the world around us, conversations, magazines, books, newspapers, the internet, other designers, artists, etc. The list here is endless, but it is, I feel a very large part of being creative. MIND-MAPPING So, you have never heard of mind-mapping? Or you have heard of it, but never understood how it can help you. It is important to make sure that you are doing it in the best way possible, or better yet the way that suits you best. The key to perfecting mind-mapping is to create your own style. Tony Buzan, the inventor of the Mind Map, fashioned a device which has unlimited potential for everyone that uses it. It can be used for almost anything, such as: • • • • • • • • Figure 1 - Photo by Mythoughtsformac Planning online developments - websites, blogs, etc Brainstorming Presentations Writing articles Goal Setting/Planning Taking notes in your lectures Studying for tests Time Management of projects [ Article 1 - How to be Creative ] 1 [ HOW TO BE CREATIVE ] Design for Specialization The list is endless and I’ve only come up with items that either I personally have used or that may help you during your studies and into your professional lives. So, how does one actually mind map? Well, let's break it down into a the five steps: 1. Start at the Center The center is your base that all subsequent ideas flow out, think of it as a tree. The trunk (center) supports the tree and all of its branches. A lot of successful Mind Maps use pictures or shapes to help explain the words or ideas. 2. Use Pictures and More Pictures Use as many images, drawings, icons, shapes, etc. as you can in your Mind Maps. The brain will remember each picture and link them with your words/ideas in the map you create. 3. Use Colors Again, our brains, especially, the right side where our creativity is located will be activated and help with increasing the connections between the ideas that we have listed. Make sure that you give each branch their own color. 4. Use Keywords Make sure that you use only one or two words for each of your branches. Avoid using sentences which will prevent your mind from being open to new ideas. Remember, this just a way for you to increase the way you think about a topic. 5. Connect Everything By connecting all of your keywords, like branches in a tree, you help the brain to generate new links which will produce new ideas. Also, by physically connecting all the words together you give your mind the ability to remember each concept that is in your Mind Map. These five steps are in no way the only way to design your Mind Map, but are simply a guideline to help get you started. Opening your mind up to as many different ideas that you can think of will help you better understand and improve your creativity. Next we will look into how to find things that inspire us, and why it is important to developing our creativity. [ Article 1 - How to be Creative ] 2 [ HOW TO BE CREATIVE ] Design for Specialization INSPIRATION Once you have mapped out all of your ideas, and have got your creative juices flowing, it is now time to look at Inspiration. Wait, you mean you do not have all your ideas mapped out? What do you mean you cannot think of anything? Stuck? Well, the good news is that inspiration is all around us. One of the best sources to help inspire you is nature. Just take a moment to look at the beauty, creativity, and imagination there is in our world. If this is not getting the ideas flowing then there are tons of other ways to get inspiration. I find that by looking at what other people have done on similar topics is an enormous. Sometimes, the best examples of inspiration is to look at works that have failed and see what you would have done differently. Some places you can find insight on your topic are in books, magazines, journals, newspapers, art, music, the internet, etc. A word of caution about using the other people for inspiration - make sure that you are not copying them. Use these resources as a springboard into your imagination. They should never be the end of journey for your creativity, but solely a way for you to develop your Mind Map or allow you to start brainstorming. Here are a few ways for you to tap into your internal inspiration and creativity. 1. Draw or Doodle In writing they have a method to help writers called 'Stream of Consciousness' which can also be applied to creativity. Just draw things, do not worry about making anything perfect or correct. Let your mind take you on a trip, draw whatever comes. No limits. When you do this you will find that you have a solution to the problem, it just required you to stop thinking. 2. Think on Paper Grab a bunch of A4 paper, or in sketchbook, start writing down whatever comes to mind. Random words, phrases, ideas, images, etc. and then start trying to connect them together into one general thought. You may find that you have many different thoughts that connect together. When inspiration strikes, follow it, for ideas are rare and easily lost. [ Article 1 - How to be Creative ] 3 [ HOW TO BE CREATIVE ] Design for Specialization 3. Be Open to Alternatives Curiosity. No judgment. Appreciate. Think different. What do all of these have in common with creativity or inspiration? There is no such thing as a bad idea, just a lack of an elegant solution to a problem. Learn to think outside the box is a universal phrase that designers hear all the time, but what I want you to do is learn to think there is no box. This allows you to ask yourself, "What is the alternative?" This will help you be able to see that there is always another way to solving a problem. It encourages you to look past the impossible and opens the door to more imaginative and original ideas to surface. As you can see it is all about how you give yourself over to what inspires. Let the creativity flow. Below are some links to places I have found helpful in getting my creative juices moving in the right direction. This is in no way a comprehensive list, but more what I have bookmarked over the years. Maybe if I can organize it for you, I will do a complete list of all the motivational sites I have found. INSPIRATIONAL COLLECTIONS DesignFlavr 60 More Places To Get Design Inspiration Great Illustrator Designs 34 Places To Get Design Inspiration 12 Web Design Inspiration 32 Inspirational Graphic Design Pieces INSPIRATIONAL GALLERIES Design You Trust Best Web Gallery Unmatched Style One Star Gallery CSS Artillery Link Creme Splench Muse CSS Creme FormFiftyFive Netdiver Beautifully CSS Beauty Cool Homepages Pagecrush Moluv’s Picks CSS Mania FWA Light On Dark Stylegala AIGA Design Archives Design Shack Faveup [ Article 1 - How to be Creative ] 4 [ HOW TO BE CREATIVE ] Design for Specialization INSPIRATIONAL STUDIOS / ARTISTS Cecilia Lindgren Robert Scully Non-Format Hulsbosch Shinybinary – Nik Ainley Faceless Adhemas Batista Antonelli Transistor Studios OkapiStudio Edwin Tofslie Kouri Design ISO50 – Scott Hansen IN8 Design 57Even UrbanCowboy Jop Quirindongo Build Pioneer10 GrandPeople Gui Borchert Spike Press Adobe.com INSPIRATIONAL BLOGS / MAGAZINES Spoon Graphics Abduzeedo N.design Studios David Airey Smashing Magazine You The Designer Freelance Switch Silentbits Design Inspiration Blog The Tutorial Blog Blogperfume DeviantArt Web Designer Wall Digital Web Magazine [ Article 1 - How to be Creative ] 5