I got a great email from a gentleman named Matt about designer’s block. Needless to say, I was glad to answer it and I decided to post the question and answer here as a memory and as well as a reference to anybody else that might have the same question, but just have nowhere to ask. I hope this helps out those who need it. Hey,
I know this is kind of wierd, but I know that you went through the whole thing and maybe could help me out. I dont know if I’m just going through a block, but I’m sitting in front of a layout design, wanting to create, but I just have no creativity going through me. I know I love to design, and want to keep going at it, but there is just nothing there anymore. What happened that made you get back? Thanks for reading.
Matt Matt,
Thanks for writing my friend. It’s not everyday that I get an email that requires me to give such an involved answer. But I will be happy to answer your question in the best way I can.
For one, yes - you are going through a block. As you know, I went through the same thing for the last year. I can’t describe or explain how something like designer’s block would come about. It varies from artist to artist. I know how you feel, before the block you were able to pump out layouts like they were sandwiches. Then one day - it stops - you find yourself sitting for hours staring at a layout or a piece of artwork that you can’t finish - no matter how hard you try.
It’s not your love for design that’s the problem and it’s not that you’ve run out of ideas either. It could be one of two things - at least from what I’ve learned. One, you’re trying too hard, or two; you’re suffering from an inspiration overdose.
That’s what happened to me. When Avalonstar took it’s hiatus a few months ago, people urged me to come back, and they wanted to see the domain alive again. But inside, I wanted to make something different, something that nobody would expect. Something that Avalonstar wasn’t. I would travel to other sites, see what’s in style, and try to recreate it with “my” style. I didn’t realize that I started to forget what my style even was anymore. I wanted to be too much like those sites that I saw, and the part of me that everybody knew was fighting that - which gave me that lost feeling while I stared at layouts that weren’t me.
The cure took a long time - but it required me to look back. I started looking at what I used to make, the endless Photoshop files of my layouts that made it to the server - and that’s when it hit me. I asked myself why I wanted to be like everybody else, when doing just that wasn’t me. The way I got out of designer’s block was to find myself, and what came out of that was the layout you see now, I had never felt so relaxed and comfortable with a layout in a long time.
But as corny as it may sound, that’s what I’d recommend - find yourself.
Maybe it’s just me though, each situation is different, each person is different, but it never hurts to try, right? Nobody deserves to be in a blocked state, it’s not natural. Take it slow though; don’t be afraid to go back to what you know best; and don’t be afraid to keep trying.
I really hoped that helped, and if you got to this part of the email, I’m happy that you took the time to read this far. Thanks for the email and take care. I hope you resolve your problem soon, and if you ever need anything else, don’t be afraid to throw me another email.
Regards, Bryan