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Meredith Bay

Thoughtfully Creative


When you think of creative people, characteristics such as whimsical, eccentric, and spontaneous probably come to mind. While it is now considered a myth, creative people have often been called 'right-brained,' meaning that the right side the brain is what controls most of their thinking. For a long time, this thought perpetuated the idea that people are either creative or analytical, but never both.

While I do consider myself creative, many of the terms that characterize a 'right-brained' person don't apply to me. I am much more analytical and logical than I am whimsical and spontaneous. At one point, I considered this to be a downfall. My journey studying art and advertising in college led me to the realization that good ideas can come from a place of logic, and I'd like to share some tips to help with that.

Do your research. Then do more research.

I'm sure you've heard this before a million times, but the more informed you are about a project or your client, the better your ideas and your work will be. Especially if you are naturally more analytical, you can find ways to turn facts about a product into a creative concept. You might find that your creative process begins with more research than daydreaming, and that is perfectly okay.

Don't be too hard on yourself.

Another trait that is common to analytically minded people is the tendency to overthink and judge oneself too harshly. Confidence will come over time, but until it does, do the best you can is to try to be kind to yourself. Trust your abilities and take breaks while you work to avoid stress. Try not to compare yourself to the spontaneous creative types and realize that having different strengths is not a bad thing.

Never stop creating.

It is tempting when the semester ends, and your work slows down to put away your sketchbook, but keep drawing and brainstorming as much as you can. The more often you are creative, the easier it gets to come up with ideas. Even if it's just a little bit of mindless doodling, it helps strengthen you and keeps your ideas flowing.

Enjoy the creativity around you.

This is probably the most important tip on this list. Keep a list of things that inspire you, whether that's an art piece you saw in a museum, the mural that you passed by on the street, or even something in nature that caught your eye. I would also strongly recommend keeping up with trends in the design world and creating folders of inspiration based on what you see. Go back to these whenever you need a little inspiration or are too caught up in your thoughts.

In conclusion, don't underestimate yourself. Learn to use your thoughtfulness to your advantage. Your ideas will go further than you might think.


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