31Three

You could not have posted this at a more appropriate time! I am right now sitting staring at a big tangled digital mess that used to resemble 38 (!!) css files on each of 2 slightly differing sites, that a client has asked me to consolidate into 11 nice neat happy little files for their main site. They want to start testing in the morning.

My big creativity killer here is trying to dissect the files in an overly organised way. Try organising it in way X, start… get a third of the way through and my mind leaps to the problems this will give me by the end, and scrap it and start again. I’ve made more headway on the project this afternoon than the entire last week by just diving in and getting my hands dirty (and I’m having more fun too!)

I found a really good way to stop those little distractions was to hide my dock. I may disable growl mail too; no mail is so important that I MUST see it the instant it arrives.

Patience is a big key for me, which is no-doubt related to Killer #1 – Multitasking and Distractions. My least-creative times are my most impatient times. Likewise, my most-creative times are the ones that are free from distraction, and I allow myself to focus in on the detail.

I can safely say that paying attention to detail is the single best help for me, in spuring on creativity.

You hit the nail on the head. I’ve experienced all three at times. It’s no fun. You give some good tips to overcome and that’s really the point. To overcome.

One thing that can kill my creativitiy is sitting infront of a design too long. It begins to look wrong or inadequate . I find that if I step away for 30 minutes or so and come back I feel somewhat refreshed.

Great post, Jesse. I think I’ll print it and hand it out to everyone else in my (media) department. I’d love to see a followup article on creativity sparkers — ways to get the creativity juices flowin’. ;)

Great article, I experienced all three when working on a design last night. Switching off the TV (which was on in the background), email and IM really helped me to focus. Also I found that after working for an hour in silence, switching on some music on low and trying to get into a relaxed state allowed me to get a whole new perspective on the design.

Also, as Josh said, taking breaks is a great way of helping to stop doubt creeping in from staring at something for too long.

Good call on the patience reference Mark, I know exactly what you mean (and your site is amazing by the way!).

I find stepping away from a design to be a huge help as well… especially when I’m doing logos for some reason.

You’re going to print the article eh? I suppose my lack of print style sheets will be revealed! Sorry about that Sean.

Don’t know about you guys, but I find if I try and design straight into photoshop or fireworks without doing any rough sketches first that just kills my creativity completely. I think there is a lot to be said for pen and paper…

Jesse, I especially agree with the last point you made about asking the question, “what would designer xyz do in this situation?” In the past, this has worked well for me with music. A friend once gave me this assignment, while we were both in the middle of a music-composition dry-spell:

A. Write a song, both lyrics and music, that is something that Sting might put on his next album, while I write a song, both lyrics and music, that Tom Petty might put on his next album. In a week, let’s compare notes.

Amazingly, even though the songs weren’t that great, it sparked something new in me, that allowed my dry-spell to end, and to come up with something truly original and uniquely mine. I had forgotten until now, how good that technique worked; thanks for reminding me.

I agree with Davis,

Pen and Paper has almost become a lost art ( in web design anyways) and for me, its one of the most important steps in the ideation process. I find that my mind can tell my hand what to draw much faster than it can tell my hand to move the mouse and click ‘new photoshop document’ then ‘800×600 pixels’ then ‘create later’ etc. and so on… It just feels more raw, like ideas can naturally aspire and evolve, ...when i start to design in photoshop, i almost feel pressured to design something. Definitely a creativity killer!

Great post, Jesse!

I am a firm believer of David Allen’s GTD methods—organize your life and you will feel a hundred times better about everything you do, work, life or otherwise. I’m only about half-way through “Getting Things Done” (ever find it hard to find time just pick up a book and read?) but what I’ve read so far has already helped me hone my organizational skills, and really has helped me just deal with any type of project more effectively and with less stress. I recommend this book to EVERYONE I know.

I find one of my biggest problems is that when I hit a design rut, I get trapped. I’m one of those people that needs to finish the current project that I’ve started before I can begin a new one, and that can really be a problem in the design world.

I’ve recently learned that If I’m stuck somewhere on a project, I NEED to leave it and move onto something else, whether it be another part of the current project, another project all together, or even something completely unrelated (remember that sink full of dishes in the kitchen?). This lets me clear my head, and when I resume the project, I usually can come at it from a different angle and get myself though the rut. Maybe this is common sense, but I wish I’d figured it out long ago.

I’d also like to note that I carry a 3”x5” spiral-bound notebook on me at all times, just in case something hits me out of the blue, I always have somewhere to put the idea. I picked up this tip from GTD.

thanks for the post man. so bang on. i know these things are exactly what are responsible for my drowning lately, but seeing them written out is always beneficial for the kick in the pants moment. thanks for taking the time.

This is a matter that I’m always thinking about. I wrote a similar article where I recommend Loosening Your Perfection Tourniquet when taking on overwhelming projects.

The biggest problem I face is that the internet is so darn cool. There’s always something cool to look up and go read about, so being online in the first place is distracting.

Thanks for the article.

As for myself, I found out two years ago that my best works are those done with very tight deadlines, and under pressure! not multiple projects at the same time because that is definitely a creativity killer, but if I have less time to finish one thing, I usually come up with better ideas, if I had a two-month deadline, I would start working a week before end of deadline :)
Some people mentioned paper and pen, I have started that recently, it is great…
I still beleive there is no magic way to help creativity flow, it just happens, as Jordan Ayan once mentioned in his AHA book: third step of the creative process is REALLY letting go…
Finally, a creative killer to me is … FEEDBACK, especially when I dont ask for it, or before the design is over… it kills instantly leaving no traces of creative life! don’t we all hate feedback? :)

About this clean environment: so true :)

One killer to my creative process is what I refer to as playing tennis in the dark.

Let me explain.
You do some designs, layouts, sketches, prototypes, whatever. Or you need more information, so you ask questions. This goes to the person/persons that are making decisions on the job. It sits for days, weeks, months.

Then it comes back in a flurry, due today or tomorrow AM and sometimes you need to reaquaint yourself with your own thinking. And you’ve lost some enthusiasm.

And then it goes away again…
And you lose more enthusiasm.

I call this tennis in the dark because for all the balls you lob over the net, you never know when one will be heading back to you.
It’s so awkward.

Just a point of information: David Allen is the guy who writes about getting things done. Dean Allen is the guy who gets Textpattern and TextDrive done.

Rodger, that’s a great example! Completely understand what you mean with that one.

Thanks Matt for spotting the typo!

wow thanks I totally agree with all your point especially the First one. I gotta annoying habit of checking my rss and Email every 30 min. Will take your advice

I can’t agree more. I had already read an article about killer #1 on some german newssite about a year ago but can’t find the link right now. It explained how your Instant Messenger will keep your brain waiting for the next message to arrive. And that will keep your brain in an alert state the whole time, consuming tons of energy.
Another killer is social problems. Try to resolve arguements with your parents, girl-friend, etc as soon as possible. Otherwise the discussion will go on in your head and distract you whenever you try to calm down and concentrate.

Want to add one more: criticism. It can be helpful, but can be killing

I don’t agree with And. Criticism always helpful. Only “green” people accept it!