There is no simple roadmap that can lead the way to inspiration. The road leading towards your next successful creative design is always a bumpy one and will sometimes end in frustration and other times in success.
While there is no simple “recipe” that can help you improve your designs, there are simple methods that can help you get your “creative juices” going. Those include keeping track of what is going on in the contemporary design world, playing mind games and using sketchbooks and visual dream diaries.
Let’s take a look at some of these simple methods that may help you tackle your next creative design project.
photo credit: Sokoban CN
Studying the Work of Others and Staying Involved
The design world is constantly evolving and changing and so it is very important to keep track of what your contemporaries are doing.
You can check out what is going in the design world by visiting sites such as design.org and interaction design and news about jewelry and metalsmithing in jewelry magazines and metalsmith.org.
Studying and appreciating the innovative work of others is something that will challenge you and help you rejuvenate your creativity, as well as help you ensure that your work is up to date and has enough commercial potential.
Using Simple Mind Games
Mind games can be highly effective in helping you find your next design idea or get inspired. There are several mind games that I often use in my work.
Random Design Challenge – This technique involves picking up a random object from your immediate surroundings, study its design elements and then use them as the basis of a new and original design of your own.
When I use this mind game I close my eyes and empty my mind of any thought. When I re-open my eyes, the first object that they happen to fall on will serve as the basis of my new design.
Every object around you has a rich history of design ideas and elements hidden somewhere in it, so this basically means that you can use a rich tapestry of ideas hidden in your immediate environment to enrich your own work.
Keeping an Active Sketchbook and a Visual Dream Diary
I always keep a sketchbook with me and constantly draw and study interesting objects around me in order to come up with my own original designs.
Keeping an active sketchbook is a great way to keep your creative energies high, some of my best ideas for jewelry design, for example, came to me while I was sketching an interesting billboard, the shape of a door or the shadow of a tree in the local park. You never know when and where a good new idea is hiding and keeping your sketchbook with you will help you to come up with a steady flow of good ideas.
Another good way to come up with unusual designs is to keep a visual dream diary. Keep a sketchbook next to your bed and draw interesting visual memories from your dreams as soon as you wake up. You will be amazed by some of the startlingly original images that you will come up with by using this method.
About the Author: This article is written by Doron Heifetz is a successful designer and the owner of the infinity promise rings website. Doron has been blogging and writing about jewelry design for several years.