
5 WAYS TO STAY MOTIVATED
Staying motivated throughout your design studies can be a challenge for some graphic designers. It is easy to become lazy and lose focus when you feel that every day is the same. You wake up, begin work, stare at a blank screen, begin to lose motivation and eventually give up. This can happen to any designer, regardless of experience. There is no need to feel left out if you’re struggling to complete your project because many people are in the same shoes as you.
There are ways to overcome this!
Here is a helpful guide to prevent you from losing motivation and burnout, pushing you towards a much better experience of the creative process.
Change your environment and surroundings
Staying in the same environment every day whilst working can become very unmotivating. You will struggle to find inspiration if you’re constantly working in the same workspace. That’s why changing your surroundings can do wonders for your creativity – you will have a fresh mindset. Instead, you could go to a local cafe, work in your garden, or go to your local library. A new location will help stimulate inspiration. For example, your garden may inspire the use of vibrant colours connected to nature for your designs. Overall, changing your workspace can help you to view your designs from a new perspective. However, bad weather may stop you from going outside – decluttering your room is a great option to gain a fresh new mindset.
Regular breaks and time blocking
Focusing and pushing through a creative block without taking regular breaks in between can be highly ineffective for clearing your head and coming up with new ideas. Taking breaks is recommended to help overcome massive burnout and stress. It is best to set a goal for yourself – set times when you will work. This could be 30 minutes, an hour, or an hour and a half – whatever working time suits you best. Depending on your work time, take a 10-minute, 30-minute, or 45-minute break to clear your mind. During your breaks, you could go for a walk, talk to your family members, stretch or eat food. These are all highly effective for refreshing your brain and preventing the creative block from turning into stress and chaos.
Setting achievable goals for yourself
The main cause of why motivation fades away from many graphic designers is the overwhelming nature of large projects that have to be completed within a deadline. On top of that, other commitments get in the way of completing your projects, which can become stressful. Therefore, setting small daily or weekly goals for yourself is a step in the right direction for keeping yourself accountable towards your end goal. To maintain motivation for your studies, you should divide your project into smaller parts and date which days you will complete it. Using a calendar to note it down is helpful so you do not overlap your work with other important commitments. This will give you a clear starting point, helping to bring back that lost confidence and creativity in you.
Self care
Taking time for yourself is just as important as completing your design studies. To relieve stress and tension from the mind, practising mindfulness and relaxation techniques is a great way to regain the motivation that you have lost. For example, you could foster yoga, meditation, or deep breathing exercises into your daily routine to reduce stress and mental clutter. These simple exercises can make all the difference in your ability to generate new ideas and approach your work with a fresh perspective. By creating inner peace, you will create a whole new mental environment for yourself where creativity has no limits.
Embrace imperfection
The standard that some designers hold to make their designs perfect is a common trap for many creatives and is the root cause of why designers lose motivation for their design studies. The fear of not being able to produce something that is flawless can knock away your creativity and prevent you from making progress. Instead, you should aim to produce your work to your best ability and stop punishing yourself.
Learn from your mistakes!
Acknowledge and embrace that your first draft or initial design does not have to be perfect. You can build on your initial ideas to make them even better. Always remember that the best ideas come from designers who have emerged from the process of refining and reworking imperfect drafts.
Try out our guide to prevent losing motivation in your design studies and watch your creativity shine!
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