Unlocking Your Creative Potential: Overcoming Perfectionism in Graphic Design

Hey Siri, play peaceful piano on #Spotify. In the past, I used to work under immense pressure when designing. I would envision the perfect design in my mind, constantly compare my #graphicdesign work to others (imposter syndrome, anyone?), set extremely high expectations, and relentlessly pursue perfection. I’d find myself struggling endlessly tweaking designs, changing my preferences and style in pursuit of achieving the best design possible, all while trying to maintain my creativity and motivation. #counterproductive

Over the past few years, I’ve come to learn a few important lessons about how I approach my design and life, in general. So… while listening to Peaceful Piano definitely helps set the mood and puts me at ease,  there’s a few more tips that I learned along my journey.

Here are three valuable lessons that have helped me unlock my creative potential and overcome perfectionism in graphic design.:

1. Tidy Up Your Environment: While it’s a personal preference, I find that a clean and organized space allows my mind to roam freely and create without hindrance. I did some decluttering, donated stuff I didn’t need, and tossed the useless things. My mind is already pretty busy, I don’t need a cluttered workspace! So, if your environment doesn’t feel right, take the time to make it welcoming, beautiful, and inspiring again.
2. Dedicated Exploration Time: The algorithm. The Instagram algorithm is awesome when you’re shopping for shoes, but not so fun when it hits you with that reel of a graphic designer who has 120k followers, an impeccable portfolio, and is probably making money in their sleep… Thanks a lot, Instagram. Now I’m questioning my graphic design skills and my life’s purpose.

Give yourself time to explore others’ work. I’ve found that scrolling and browsing other artists and designers can feel intimidating when we are going about our day regularly and stumble across it. It’s impossible not to feel jealous or less-than. So, rather than feeling overwhelmed or inadequate while randomly stumbling upon others’ work, I now set aside dedicated time to intentionally explore the work of other artists and designers. By doing this, I can assess their work with a clear mind, offer constructive critiques, analyze the elements that inspire me, and truly appreciate the beauty of their creations.

When I’m not busy comparing myself, I’ve actually noticed that I can pick out things I appreciate in the design or things I’d rather avoid – it’s like drawing inspiration or gaining a better grasp of my own style and preferences. This shift in mindset has turned my imposter syndrome into a can-do attitude. Let’s roll up our sleeves and create some graphic design magic!

1. Finish What You Start: As a designer and business owner, I’m constantly thinking about numerous ideas and tasks. Content creation, research, marketing, promotion, website, customers, and more. My top rule is to see a design through from start to finish before jumping to the next one. Whenever I start feeling overwhelmed or directionless, it’s usually because I’ve got a handful of unfinished projects on my plate – whether it’s new design concepts, other product ideas, or fonts I want to download. In those moments, I’ve learned to take a step back, pinpoint the roadblock, and make a conscious effort to refocus on completing the design at hand.

Ultimately, I’ve learned that my work is truly exceptional, and I’ve been too hard on myself. I used to believe that ‘creatives’ are inherently and effortlessly creative without any effort. That with creativity… comes success. And it’s a matter of creating the best design, better than all the others out there, to be successful.

However, I’ve come to understand that sometimes, you need to cultivate the right environment to nurture creativity. It means letting go of perfectionism and focusing on quality, design, and functionality. Creativity and ‘order’ can indeed go hand in hand. For creatives, discipline is also key to achieving success.

So, after a few years, I’ve become skilled at approaching my graphic design projects with a sense of ease, creativity, and pure enjoyment… with my Peaceful Piano playlist and a few other tips. I could definitely get used to this!

I’d love to hear your productivity and motivation tips, and if you have any great Spotify playlist recommendations, please share them in the comments.