In a world where the creative landscape is constantly evolving, designers often find themselves at a crossroads between innovation and authenticity. How do we maintain motivation while staying true to our unique voices? This is the central theme of our latest podcast episode, where we dive deep into actionable strategies for designers seeking to thrive in their craft.
One of the standout strategies discussed in the episode is the power of working backwards from overarching goals. By envisioning your long-term aspirations, you create a daily reminder of what truly matters to you as a designer. This method transforms daunting projects into a series of manageable tasks, making it easier to combat procrastination and overwhelm. Imagine waking up each day with a clear roadmap guiding you towards your ultimate vision—sounds refreshing, doesn’t it?
The journey of a designer doesn’t have to be a solitary one. We emphasize the importance of accountability partnerships, which serve as a vital support system in your creative pursuits. Whether it’s a fellow designer, a mentor, or a close friend, having someone to share your progress and challenges with can significantly boost your motivation. These partnerships not only foster creativity but also help to keep procrastination at bay.
We’ve all fallen into the trap of thinking there will always be time to finish that project later. But this misconception can lead to unnecessary stress and hasty work. In our podcast, we shed light on the urgency of time management and the benefits of starting tasks sooner rather than later. Embracing this mindset allows for a more relaxed, yet productive approach to your creative process.
Starting a business can be fraught with self-doubt, especially when it comes to whether customers will accept your products. Our speaker passionately advocates for creating work driven by personal passion rather than simply chasing market trends. Authenticity shines through when you’re creating what you love, even if it doesn’t resonate with everyone. After all, the most meaningful designs often come from a place of personal connection.
As creatives, we often seek both external and internal validation to build our confidence. The podcast discusses how to navigate this duality effectively. By cultivating self-acceptance alongside seeking feedback, designers can fortify their self-worth and enhance their creative output.
Finally, we touch on an often-overlooked aspect of the creative process: self-care. Simple practices such as quiet reflection, listening to music, or spending time alone can significantly recharge your energy and reconnect you with your purpose. In the hustle of deadlines and expectations, carving out moments for solitude can inspire clarity and rejuvenate your creativity.
If you’re a designer looking to enhance your motivation and authenticity, or simply want to explore the nuances of the creative process, tune into our podcast episode! Let’s embark on this journey together, equipped with strategies to uplift your creative spirit and propel your work forward.
Don’t forget to subscribe and share your thoughts! We’d love to hear how you stay motivated and true to your creative self. Happy listening!
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Welcome to the Designers Plants & Coffee podcast, where we discuss how to succeed as a designer while staying true to yourself, finding peace in the process, and making money doing what we love. Subscribe on YouTube and wherever you get your podcast.
How do you stay motivated?
I work backwards. So when you’re not motivated, you have to think about the big picture, not necessarily the steps to get there. To what I have on my computer screen, I have my big picture goals for the year, and I look at that every day. Every time I turn on my computer, it’s up. So it’s like a reminder, this is what I’m working for, this is what I’m working for.
I would say the same thing when I took one of those planner classes and it’s breaking down the big goal, breaking everything down to one step or one thing to do. Sometimes I will create my to-do list and say, Okay, just do two. And then there are times when I just want to set a fire to it and just go to sleep, wake up and start over or just walk away because I was maybe overwhelmed. It’s like, you know what? Let me just walk away and come back. With me, it’s more of one thing at a time.
And I think for me, I really am a procrastinator, right? And so I always have a whole bunch of things to do But I don’t feel any pressure to do them until I have to do them, which is what I’m really working very hard at trying to get out of. If I am working on something and it’s not coming out the way I see it in my head, I throw it to the side, right? And I’ll start something else. And so then that becomes this unfinished project that I never do. How do you hold yourself accountable? Do you have somebody to call you and say, did you do X, Y, Z?
We do because we do it for each other. We can get better at it and really hold ourselves accountable. My husband’s in the same creative space. He does music. We hold each other accountable. Accounting partners, they really help. Everything’s in your head. So if you don’t express to anybody, nobody knows what you’re doing.
With procrastination, one of the things that really is apparent, it’s the fact that we think we will have time to do it later. And it’s like, But who told you that? Why do you think that? Because you may not. And then there have definitely been times when I thought I would have time, and then I did not. And then I’m stressed out trying to complete the project, and I’m mad at everybody.
It’s a personal cycle of abuse Because like I said, I know what I’m doing in September. I know what I’m doing in July. You’ve got four months to get ready for XYZ event, and then it’s like, you’ve got three months And then it’s like, holy shit, you’ve got three weeks and you haven’t done anything.
And I will say one of the things that I’ve been really thinking about, and I actually have seen, I want to say maybe a handful of of business owners who are actually at the position where I want to be. So I’m looking at them because I do think having someone in your corner who’s maybe a coach or a mentor who’s already there will actually help as well.
For a very long time at the beginning of my business would go into every single event. And the other meeting in my head was always, are they going to like my stuff and are they going to buy my stuff? So that’s your own self doubt. I stopped trying to make things that I thought people wanted, and I streamlined my products, and I made things that I wanted to make. And that’s all I offer. And if it’s not for you, it’s not for you. So that’s a really tough lesson to learn. Everybody’s not your customer. And I think it’s really, really something that you have to work at overcoming. It’s always going to be there in everything we do.
Every time you give a presentation, every time you show your design to someone, every time you sell something to somebody, you say, okay, will they like it? And like Naima said, it’s just like I got to a point where I know that I am good enough. I worked hard enough. I’ve had proof over the 20 plus years in this industry that my stuff does sell, that I do know what I’m doing, that I’ve gotten validation. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to get outside validation to make yourself feel better, but you also need to have self validation. I deserve to be here. I worked hard for this.
This is how we’re all in business is right now because something inside of us said, you are good at this and you can do this, and I need you to do it. It’s your God voice, right? Your God voice is telling you, this is what I want for you, and I need you to do it. What do you guys do for self-care?
Sleep. I sit in quiet. Sometimes I just have to just, I turn everything off, no devices, no TV, no nothing. And I just sit in quiet. It’s not a whole lot of time, but maybe 15 minutes or half an hour. Then maybe listen to some music, like some instant. I mean, that really recharges me. It gives me time to think. It gives me time to see what my next move is.
It’s your version self-care. You might think the things that you enjoy doing are not self-care. But as a person who can come in the house and sit in the dark and light some candles, internal music, and get that aromatherapy and get that music in my brain, when you really sit down to think about it, you’re like, oh, I do those things for myself. I am partial to very early mornings, right? 6:00 in the morning is quiet. The world has not woken up yet. I have an outdoor space, and when the weather is nice, I just go and just have a few minutes of quiet before, I call it when the world wakes up.
I’m Zahia from Region Design Lab, and we have-Ama from Fearless Threads and-Tri Winston from Keeping You In Stitches.
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