Recently, I asked to be put on a project I’d always dreamed of working on. Lucky for me, I got it! As soon as I opened it up, my mind went completely blank. I had no ideas and was totally overwhelmed. Here are the five strategies I used to overcome my creative block and create a final product I was happy with.
1. Get away from the computer
The first step in overcoming the feeling of overwhelm by a blank canvas was to get away from the blank canvas. I started by sketching out a few ideas, which allowed me to brainstorm away from the pressure of the empty page. Initiate is also lucky enough to have the Trans Canada Trail right in our backyard. I went for a walk to muddle over solutions to the problem as well as work through why I was having so much trouble with this project.
2. Figuring out the root of the problem
Figuring out why I was so stuck helped me to work against it. After some introspection, I realized that the reason I was feeling so overwhelmed by this project was that it was a stretch for my skillset and that I found the scope daunting. After realizing this, I put some measures in place to make sure I was on the right track. I checked in with our project manager to make sure she knew this project was a stretch for me, and that the timeline of it allowed for me to do a thorough job without feeling rushed. Additionally, recognizing that this project was overwhelming me allowed me to put some strategies in place early.
3. Put something, anything on that page
A white page is only some brand colours, a little content, and maybe a stock photo away from being a completely full page. Getting just the first spread done gave me the confidence to charge ahead with the project. By the end of it, I went back and completely redesigned that first spread, but I knew I needed to start somewhere.
4. Small steps
Once I got to the middle of the project, I found myself getting demotivated. I would open the file and just have no idea where to start for the day. My solution was to scroll through and pick something really manageable to do first, just to get started. One day I started by just swapping out the placeholder icons I had put in with the final icons. This extremely easy task got me in the groove of the project enough to stick with it and get a huge amount of work done on the report that day.
5. Reach out
One thing I love about working at Initiate is that I am surrounded by design geniuses. I decided to take full advantage of this on a project I was having so much trouble with. I sent screenshots of in-progress spreads to the art director on the project throughout the process to make sure that I was on the right track. I also sent images of spreads I was stuck on to my colleagues along with the message “Why is this ugly?” Lucky for me, they always knew the answer and could give me an easy fix. Sometimes all you need is a second set of eyes!
After implementing these strategies, I finally finished the project. When looking at the final version, I found myself shocked that this was something I had designed! By pushing through my creative block I was impressed by how much I was able to accomplish.
