When you have the same scenery and routine day in and day out, which has only been accentuated during this pandemic, it’s hard to embrace a creative mindset. Many turn to social media to see what other creatives are up to, but that can only stimulate those creative juices so much. I, myself, subscribe to Communication Arts Daily which is a quick digest of design topics both academic- and archive-based which helps me keep up with trends and creative ideas. But, beyond that, what else is there? Let me tell you what works for me.
1 Challenge yourself with a new skill.
Fear is a great motivator. Once the kids were back at school, which I know is a luxury many working parents do not have, I had the house to myself to regroup and think about what was next for me. I had recently ended a three-year stint as a marketing director, moved to a new city, and did so during a pandemic. Not the best social opportunity. It was me, myself and my pets. Now what? I decided to do something I had never done but that applied to what I do. I joined LinkedIn Learning and started to take some classes in WordPress essentials and CSS. These are all applicable to what I do (user experience design), but with which I am very unfamiliar. I am not looking to become an expert in these processes, but my rationale: if I am familiar with the application, I can speak more intelligently with those who know it well and I will be more keen to max its capabilities in how I design.
2 Take advantage of the free stuff online.
Case in point: Adobe Max. Adobe dominates the creative application space and does a great job with it. They have the connections and resources to create an amazing online conference next week that has a ton of free application tutorials, inspirational case studies and speakers to remind you why we do this in the first place. To me, it’s professional self care. Not quite as luxurious as a beach vacation, but allowing yourself the time to do something that may not be outwardly “productive” will pay off in the long run by interrupting that stodgy routine and giving your creativity a hard reset.
3 Don’t you … forget about you.
I don’t know about you, but I need to feel confident with myself to take on new projects. I feel confident when I feel good about who I am and that I’m in control of those choices. There is not a heck of a lot of control during a pandemic, but what I can control is how I take care of my own wellbeing. This prioritization not only makes me a better creative, but a better parent, wife, and friend as well. So, how do I do this? I exercise 6-7 times per week. Don’t be too impressed. I don’t run marathons every day, but I have a program that is balanced, that pushes me, and most important, that allows me an hour to myself to improve JUST me, no one else. In that space, it’s literally all about me, and everyone needs that every now and again. And, as I’ve said in a post prior to this, I also embrace procrastination. I don’t view it as delaying a task, I see it as giving myself the time I need to fully bake those creative cookies. Plus, the bathroom gets cleaned—it’s a win-win.
Jessica Schindhelm Design 