Exercises For Creativity - 5 Ways To Inspire Freelance Graphic Designers

Graphic design is a highly competitive field with clients looking to hire only the best. To be the best, freelance graphic designers should follow the five exercises for creativity discussed in this article. These exercises can inspire graphic artists to come up with new and exciting ideas.
1. Doodling
In general, a "doodle" can be defined as an unfocused drawing made while a person's attention is otherwise occupied. Because doodling promotes creativity while relieving anxiety, stress, and tension, it is one of the best exercises for creativity that a graphic designer can do to get his/her creative juices flowing.
To get started with doodling, try the following:

• Clear your mind.
• Allow your hands to freely draw.
• Set the drawing(s) aside when you are finished.
• Once you are ready, take a look at the drawing(s) and analyze it.

The analysis of the doodle may generate feelings or ideas and may even result in the solution you were searching for. If none of this happens on the first try, don't give up. Creativity takes time.
2. Visualizing from a different perspective
In the world of graphic design, seeing things for what they are can be mundane. However, seeing things for what they could be is far more interesting and can cultivate new and interesting ideas. For this reason, it is amongst one of the best exercises for creativity for graphic designers.
To get started with visualizing from a different perspective, try the following:

• Pick an object and analyze it.
• Try to clear your mind of any preconceptions of the object.
• Begin sketching and writing down your ideas.
• Try to come up with 3-5 sketches based on what you're letting yourself see.
• Set the sketch(es) aside when you are finished.

Later, take a look at what you've created. You may be surprised at some of the ideas you came up with.
3. Exploring nature
Nature can be particularly inspirational for nurturing creativity. Taking regular visits to areas complete with nature and beauty is considered one of the best exercises for creativity.
To get started with being inspired by nature, try the following:

• Go to a park or a zoo, take a walk, stroll into the woods, or simply go outside and sit by a nearby tree.
• Find something that catches your eye or strikes you in any way.
• Sketch what you see trying to figure out what it is that you find so striking and transfer that into your design.
• Take a picture of what caught your eye to continue your design. This will keep it fresh in your mind.

In order for this exercise to be beneficial, try to interpret the feeling you got when you first saw what caught your eye.
4. Using random words
As one of the higher regarded exercises for creativity, this brainstorming exercise is sure to foster new and interesting ideas. Essentially, you take a random word and incorporate into a design idea. The idea behind this exercise is to stimulate ideas you likely have never thought about before.
To get started with the random word exercise, try the following:

• Brainstorm and record on paper what you'd like your design subject to be.
• Open a dictionary and pick the first word you lay your eyes on.
• Try to incorporate the random word into the design you've selected. For example, your design subject may be yoga and you randomly pick the word "apple". The idea is to incorporate the idea of the apple into the yoga theme.

This exercise is often useful to graphic designers for advertising projects and/or when more out of the box thinking is required.
5. Translating words into images
This is one of the most popular exercises for creativity. The idea is to pick a word and create a design consisting of only that word. You can use colors and/or one or two basic shapes but the focus of the design should be on the word you picked.
To get started with translating a word into an image, try the following:

• Select a word; or, for a more challenging exercise, open up a dictionary and randomly select a word.
• Try to formulate ideas incorporating this word and create sketches.
• Be sure to restrict yourself from the obvious.

Although this exercise doesn't sound as challenging as some of the others, you'd be surprised at how well this works.