I’ve been watching TED Talks lately. I felt like feeding myself mindless TV shows and other excess noise wasn’t really benefiting my mind or heart. I decided to take a turn and watch at least one inspirational video a day. I love TED Talks because they are not long at all and usually really hit one of my heart strings. This talk in particular really moved me and I just had to share. I realize sometimes how selfish I can be and that I do want to make an impact with my life. It’s the fire that molds the clay, not the clay that molds the fire.
Posts Tagged → inspiration
Inspiration in the Sky
When I fly, I get so excited because it’s a time for me that I have to unplug from the outside world. I feel for some reason that when I am in the sky I feel closer to my thoughts and that anything is possible. Maybe it’s because as humans we are not designed to fly, we were not born with wings. But we’ve been innovative to make our own. If you heard someone say that one day we’d fly in the sky in a silver tube, the person would probably just look at you odd. But because such technology now exists from such a foreign thought, I feel that when I am in the sky, I am able dream a lot clearer.
I’ve been stuck on a few projects of my own and during the flight I felt that I had ideas were a flood. A large part was just being inspired by the beauty below me and the ocean. The other side was just unplugging from my phone. Sometimes we feed off other people to be our inspiration, when really we just need to feed off our own minds. As creatives we have brilliant ideas going through each of us everyday. It just takes discipline to tap out of the digital world, unplug, and focus on what we ourselves see in our work.
One exercise that really helps when you are out of ideas, is to walk up to a white wall and just stare at it. Wait till you get extremely bored of it and have already found all the dirty spots. After awhile, imagine drawing anything on that white wall. Maybe it’s your project, design, or unicorns with sparkles. This really creates a great exercise for your brain, that allows you to pull out your creative side within yourself and not from anything or anyone else.
That’s all I have today, but even if you don’t know where to go, hop on a plane sometime. It’s amazing to get away.
More than just a designer.
I seem to blog more when I am going through something personally. Then intern, I want to share it with you. I have been feeling dried out lately, like there is no creativity inside of me. It’s been hard to think up new ideas and then sit down and create the pictures I see in my mind. It’s been more like seeing half of a picture and not the whole thing. I know designers go through design blocks. But this was more like a design desert. Then, today on the bus, I had this sort of revelation, epiphany if you will. But it was something I have not thought about when it comes to a creative block.
I realized I was trying to be creative. When I try to be creative or focus too hard on an idea, nothing comes. But when I am free, letting my mind roam, thats when all the ideas flood in. You should try it sometime, it’s pretty fun. Actually, scratch that, don’t try. It doesn’t work that way. haha!
“Everyone is created for great things. Gifts and talents act like open doors, to lead us to who we were made to be.”
The second thing I realized, was that I am more than just a designer. Of course, It’s my profession, I do it for a living and I love doing it. But it’s not all that I am and it’s not all that you are. I have to learn to take time for myself and and focus on the other talents that I contain. Like writing poetry, creating music, playing guitar, painting, running & and most of all, being wild and free! Lately, I have forgotten to be myself and I feel my zeal and joy for life seem to quickly fade. I don’t often write personal posts, but I always want to be transparent and real.
I just don’t want you to forget to by yourself and do things that you love to do. Even if that’s having a creepy dead frog collection, eating Fruity Pebbles at 1 am and watching Spong Bob, singing to Miley Cyrus in the shower, or in my case trying to rap in the shower. All in all, no matter who you are, no matter what you do in the end, don’t forget to love with all that you have and be yourself. Everyone is created for great things. Gifts and talents act like open doors, to lead us to who we are made to be. Live like today is your last and remember, you’re more than just a designer. ;)