Beginner's Ruts

I talked about finding inspiration and gave a bunch of examples of places that I find great things that inspire me, and I actually started writing that post a few weeks ago and forgot about it. So, I put the finishing touches on it and posted it. Well, shortly after publishing that post, I was browsing on Behance and within a few minutes of scrolling, I didn’t really feel inspired- I felt overwhelmed and a little depressed!

It’s fun looking at the pretty things that other people create/draw/do/make but I think when you’re already feeling discouraged about your own work or life, looking at the awesome things other people are doing can make you feel worse about yourself.

I recognized that I was starting to feel this way, so I got right out of the internet and started to think about the things I would do [after Julian went to sleep] to get me out of a rut and feeling positive and excited about creating. I thought maybe I could begin one of the prompts within this book I bought last weekend, or make some new material for my Etsy shop, or start on an invitation that a friend and I have been talking about sporatically.

So, what happens when you become overstimulated and, as a result, depressed or unmotivated? Well... you unplug. Unplug in the sense of not looking at other peoples' work and thinking of all the ways they're better than you. Unplug by not stepping foot into a nother social media website until you get one project done. It will feel good to know that there was no outside influence on that work- just your pure talent and genius. If you can't put your brain, creativity and vision into something and have it turn out amazing and portfolio-worthy, then you just have some practicing to do, and there's nothing wrong with that! I know I have lots of practicing to do before I can really consider myself a 'designer', but you have to start somewhere, right?

Besides unplugging, it's important to remember not to "compare someone elses middle to your beginning" (-Jon Acuff). If you're starting out, you can't compare yourself to someone who is experienced, because you'll be there someday! So many things happen with time. It's easy to think "Well, I should be as good as them, so why aren't I!" and send yourself into a rut, thinking of all the reasons why they're better than you.

So, I guess the moral of this story is to focus on you, and your work. Keep practicing until you have the confidence to compare your work to that of other, more established designers. Also, don't lose sight of why you are really passionate about something, just because you're trying to get better or look better from the outside. Work at a pace that allows you to grow as a creator- or however you want to interpret this!

Now, go forth and do something amazing. I hope someone can feel inspired by this, because I know I do!