Mind Blanks...what do you do?

Squevasquidge

Squevasquidge

Member
Hi All,

For those of you that don't know, I am a total novice and do a bit of design here and there for practice and to help out friends.

I recently had to let my friend down and throw the towel in with her Logo. I just didn’t feel I could produce anything that I liked or that I felt did her little business justice. It's really knocked my confidence. I love her products and really put pressure on myself to produce something that enhanced or complimented them. I just died a death with it and couldn't get it back. (Think I posted about it at the time yonks ago and it's still playing on my mind)

Anyway... I was wondering...What do you do when you get Graphic Mind Blank? Has it ever happened to such a scale that you've let yourself down? (Obviously not to the scale I did...I don't imagine any of you would mess up to that extent!)

Regards,

Eva
 
I go for a long walk, sleep on it overnight, play music, sing, dance, read, make bread - anything that takes your mind off the problem to be solved. Before that point I will have written down words connected to the name or business, sketched out ideas, tried different colourways, different fonts, I may even have tried some on the computer. Then I stop. And then I do something else. And (usually) something appears out of nowhere and you can go and sketch it out, draw it on the computer...
And then you ask other people (or the client) and listen to what they say... and go back and work some more.

Sometimes you can appear to have a brilliant idea immediately, but often it's because you have already (in your mind) done the other stages.
 
Put the pencil and pen down go for a walk, switch the computer off, do something different to take your mind off it - then come back later fully recharged!

I find this the best solution.
 
ill b honest when my creative mind hits that wall, i used to have a "smoke" and yes u get monged but to me it used 2 release some great ideas, i got through my BA with it. but now as im older i go the pub and play pool and it comes back
 
It happens to me all the time, especially with logos. When I start a new project, often I'll literally have no idea where to start.

When I get stuck for ideas I'll do something to take my mind off the brief completely. I actually find playing a repetitive computer game or some doing some other mundane task helps me to come up with ideas. Since the 'thinking' part of my brain isn't getting much of a workout and tends to go off and do something else and I start to think about my work on a subconscious level. It sounds trippy I know, but working constantly isn't good for you since you need to give your mind a rest every so often.
 
I also normally hit a block with logos, I do my sketching, llok at fonts then leave it well alone. Annoyingly I normally have a "eureka" moment just as I am about to fall asleep!
 
I watch some wrestling. Get everything design related out of my head, my ideas / inspiration .. and start from scratch.

:boxing:
 
I agree with everyone above. Also, it's going slightly in a different direction, but I think I said to someone on here before that sometimes the first idea that comes into your head may seem brilliant but when you have time to think things over, other ideas come into the thought process and the idea you thought was the best thing since sliced bread finds itself down the pecking order. So even if there is an ongoing thought process it's always good to clear your mind because other ideas (usually better ones) will always surface. I think we all know that the longer you look at something the more muddled it becomes whether there are ideas or not.
 
Agree with everything said above, personally I like to go swimming. There's something about it that calms my mind and lets thoughts manifest. I also have a go at automatic writing every so often.
 
ARRIVALS said:
I watch some wrestling.
Click to expand...

Professional wrestling? If yes, join the club. :icon_clapping: If not :icon_blushing: Just me, haha.

I'm like Paul, I do some mundane housework tasks or play a game that's repetitive as hell and it clears your thoughts out. Music is great too.
 
ARRIVALS said:
What? What? What?
Click to expand...

Hahaha. Do you watch it religiously? I only got back into it about a month before Wrestlemania, and I'm on the blog and rumour sites now. Bad state of affairs. I pass it off to the other half as a "man-soap" too.
 
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