TED Talk Tuesday #183: Inspiration: It’s Just Around Your Corner.

Watching TED Talks is a popular pastime at CN&CO. We visit TED.com regularly to clear our heads, have a laugh or get inspired. TED Talks open our minds, spark new ways of thinking and can lead to some very interesting conversations. Each week we pick a favourite and publish it on a Tuesday, because we like how “TED Talk Tuesday” sounds. It’s also a way that the CN&CO team play their part on spreading ideas and helping to make the world a better place. This week’s talk is recommended by Francois Joubert…

“Writer’s block”… a “creative cul-de-sac”… A “design dead-end”… Whatever you want to call it, I think we all, regardless of your occupation, have been in some position where the creative juices are on a dry spell and the task to try and find new, creative solutions sometimes becomes a nasty little piece of inconvenience, and usually happens at the worst of times when a deadline is weighing on your shoulders.

As a rookie graphic designer, I am regularly confronted with the lack of creative juices flowing, or even worse- when you have a clear mind’s eye view of a creative direction, but it just does not work on the digital canvas. Shucks, I even had writer’s block on what to write for our TedTalk Tuesday Blog.

But, seeing as I had a TedTalk due and I was in a creative cul-de-sac, I turned to TedTalk and with just a few key words and clicks I met behavioural and learning scientist, Marily Oppezzo. In the talk Marily discusses how to remedy a creative clog with something as simple as going outside and talking a walk. Now, coincidently, on the day I watched Oppezzo’s blog I happened to be stuck on a design I’ve been working on. So, it was decided- later that same afternoon I closed my laptop, I put on my tekkies and I gave this walking thing a go.

In Marily’s talk she notes that for this method to work you need to keep the ‘problem’ in your mind’s eye continuously and with each step try to think of possible alternative solutions to solve it. I took a different approach and purposefully tried not to think of the problem at all. I tried to just be present with each step I took and take in the immediate surroundings and appreciate (and judge) the designs all around me. I began to get lost in the chaotic geometry of dead tree branches, noticing the different designs of house numbers and the company logos of various local business I passed. I picked up on so many different colours and how to match them to create harmony or even stark contrasts to make a statement. And so this walk of inspiration continued for about 8 blocks. When I reached home I sat back down in front of my digital canvas and, ding-dong, things just fell into place.

And I’m also happy to say that this method has become somewhat of a habit, and regardless of creative block or not the walks have proven to keep me inspired and actively keep my eyes open for any inspiration I can pin onto my mind’s mood board. So, get up, go for a walk and get your creative juices flowing. Your inspiration, or solution might just be around the corner.