Lost Your Design Mojo? Here's How to Reignite Your Passion When You've Lost It!
Discover refreshing ways to spark creativity and get your design groove back!
Are you stepping into the new year and feeling a bit like your design spark's gone on holiday without you? If the festive season left you more drained than inspired, you're not alone.
I've dusted off a short video from last summer that I wanted to share with you. It's all about firing up that design passion again, especially when you're feeling more 'meh' than 'yeah!' about design.
Let me know if hits home and if you're keen on more YouTube chats in this series.
đđť New to the Good Designer?
A massive welcome to our new buddies in the community â we're now 200 strong! If you're wondering, "Who's Liz Hamburger?" â firstly I want to clear up that, yes, that's my real name, and no, itâs not a snazzy marketing idea.
I've been working away in the design world for over ten years, starting with branding and visual identities, then experimenting through web design and platforms. These days, I'm all about Product Design, working as a contractor/freelancer with various companies and agencies with a leaning towards UX and research.
Thatâs enough about me! Back to todayâs topicâŚ
đşGetting Your Design Mojo Back
Ever feel like your design passion's playing hide and seek? You're not alone. It's a topic I I could write about a thousand times, because Iâve lost and found my love for designing multiple times, and I reckon it'll strike a chord with many of you, especially if youâve got post-holiday blues.
đ Acknowledging the Creative Slump
First up, let's get honest: creative slumps are totally normal. Creativity's like the tide â it comes and goes. You can't be on a design high 24/7, itâs not sustainable, realistic but most importantly that's okay!
I've dug deep into this topic in my Medium article, âLost Your Design Mojo? Hereâs How to Find It Againâ. As youâll see, that post was from 2019, but it itâs still a topic that comes up often.
đ ď¸ Practical Tips to Rekindle Your Design Fire:
Take a Breather: Sometimes, the best design work happens when you're not designing. "Rest" is a book that explains how legends like Charles Dickens kept up their creative tank while doing, well, not much.
Try Something New: Shake things up with different hobbies â be it a stroll, whipping up a storm in the kitchen, or knitting. These can spark creativity in unexpected ways.
Career Check-In: Feeling a shift in your design interests? Totally normal. Maybe it's time to explore new fields. Iâve moved from Branding to Product Design, thereâs nothing wrong with transferring skills to other areas.
Joy Spotting: Focus on what makes your design heart happy. Equally, brace yourself for the bits you're not so keen on. They most likely will always be there, so learn to cope with them the best you can!
Community Spirit: Dive into events, conferences, or inspiring content. Passion is contagious!
Designer-to-Designer Chat: Connect with peers. Sharing woes and wins can be super enlightening but also help you find a solution to project problems.
đBooks on the Art of Resting
If youâre someone who struggles to rest, when you feel like you should be doing more, I really canât recommend these books enough. They have changed my whole view on growing as a designer:
đ "Working Hard, Hardly Working"
đ "Do Nothing"
đ "Rest"
I hope this chat helps you navigate through those creative dry spells and re-sparks your love for design. Got thoughts or stories to share? I'm all ears: liz@skyburgerstudio.co.uk.
Before I go, here is this week's top jobs (A few junior ones here!) I found that I wanted to share with you.
đ¤ Jobs
Yet To Be: Junior Designer
âYet To Be is a startup recruitment agency, specialised in Product Design, UX & Research. Weâre a small team and this role reports directly to the founder, Jack. Having made a great start as a business, weâre now ready to reinvest and thatâs why weâre looking for a talented Junior Designer to help us in the next stage of our brands development. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone looking to catapult their careerâ
đđť Read more and apply
Prophet: Design Intern
âOur goal at Prophet is to make this experience a huge learning opportunity for you. Joining a team of tight knit creatives, youâll have access to a wealth of industry knowledge, career stories and sound advice. Throughout your internship youâll work alongside other creatives and strategists on a wide range of branding related briefs and projects, receiving regular mentoring and coaching from various members of the team along the way.â
đđť Read more and apply
BBC: Mid Weight User Experience Designer
âBBC Studios is searching for a Midweight UX Designer to join their Branded Websiteâs team within the BBC Studios Product Group. You will have the opportunity to contribute to UX across a range of exciting BBC Brands such as Doctor Who, Bluey, BBC Earth and Hey Duggee. BBC Studios UX&D is part of a small, growing and passionate community of UX Designer/Researchers and Service Designers over a number of interesting products as well as being part of a larger community in the wider the BBC Public service.â
đđť Read more and apply
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Got questions or just fancy a natter? I'm all ears! Drop me an email at liz@skyburgerstudio.co.uk or ping me a message on LinkedIn. Would love hearing from you!
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