The past two weeks I’ve had almost total free rein on creative projects. And since I’m the creative strategist on the team you would think that sounds like the life, right?
You would be right. It is every designer’s dream. Just not when you’re experiencing creative block.
Creative block is the worst. Literally. THE WORST. I could go off on a tangent of things I’d rather deal with than a creative block when it’s my job to be creative 24/7.
It’s that nagging feeling that nothing you’re creating is evoking the right emotions for your clients. It could be that the creative gods are forbidding the perfect font pairing, or your color schemes aren’t clicking. Or maybe, it’s that your great ideas develop into subpar scratches on a sticky note and never translate into anything more.
Lucky for me, I experienced all of the above. *Insert eye roll here*
I felt like I was experiencing some sort of bad designer’s karma for using Comic Sans that one time in third grade. I could not for the life of me break this curse of bad ideas and horrible design executions, that is until last Thursday when I attended House Industries’ Lettering & Printing Master Workshop at The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.
The day-long workshop started with a lesson in the basics of typography, an introduction to hand-lettering concepts and letterform sketching with lettering extraordinaire, Ken Barber. And it was right in the middle of House Industries’ A Type of Learning exhibition at the museum.
This was just what I needed. I was immersed in a design topic I’m most passionate about, comfortably chatted with talented artist directors and designers from across the country and was surrounded by iconic artwork.
The second half of the day was dedicated to exploring screen printing techniques used to bring designs to life and working hands on with the tools. I got a chance to get my hands dirty and experience the process after a design is sent to print.
Having a full day dedicated to further developing my design skills in a unique setting sparked so many ideas and solutions to the not-quite-there pieces I had been working on. Everyone experiences creative block and everyone has their way of overcoming it. But sometimes, attending a workshop, seminar or conference may be just what you need.
At P&G, we believe professional development is key to growing your skill set, evolving in your expertise and inspiring innovation. A change in your environment, taking a day away from the computer to create something raw with your hands, diving deep into your passion areas and surrounding yourself with like-minded people can all inspire you.
I highly suggest making the trip to The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation to see the House Industries’ A Type of Learning exhibition for yourself. I just may tag along for a second viewing.
Road trip anyone?
