How do I create?

When watching the Ken Robinson TED talk, I thought how right he is! When going to school a lot of stress in elementary school and high school is put on doing well in Math and English. The arts are secondary unless we decide to specialize in it in the higher grades. Subjects like drama and dance often fall by the wayside. According to Robinson creativity is as important as literacy. When we think about which are the subjects that lend themselves to the creative part of the person? It’s the arts — drama, dance, visual arts and music.
Robinson talks about kids not being afraid to take chances, whereas adults are frightened of being wrong. In other words, as kids get older they get more self-conscientious and become more and more afraid of being wrong. In Robinson’s opinion, if you are not prepared to be wrong you will never come up with anything original. People should not be afraid to make mistakes. Picasso said that all children are born artists, but they grow out of the creativity. In other words, even though we are getting older in years, what we should try to do is to see the world through the eyes of a child. Our own creativity should not be influenced in a negative way by the things around us. We should not be afraid of trying new things from an artistic point of view.
When listening to the excerpted 100 Habits list, I thought that many of the points are right up my alley. I like the idea of travelling to see different places, with different people and different ideas. I would see new places not only from a visitor’s point of view, but also from a designer’s point of view. I tend to look for other designers’ perspectives and ideas now that I am in the field. I now look at objects, pictures, people, places for inspiration. I see things in a different way. I find myself analyzing from a designer’s point of view. By talking to other people in my field, by looking at other people’s works, by trying new things, I am developing and growing as a Graphic Designer. With each project or job that I complete I am learning and developing my own unique style. I should keep in minds Ken Robinson’s discussion on creativity. I should not be afraid to be wrong

What is Design?

For me, designing something is about creating something. Whether it is to make a plan or to show the look of a building, or an article of clothing or to decorate a vase with lines and shapes, the designer is creating. The designer always has a purpose in mind. A graphic designer creating an ad wants to attract the attention of the target market in a creative way. The designer of a building wants to make it so it is attractive, useful and meets architectural standards. The designer creating a simple toy wants it to be liked by children. Regardless of what is being designed, the key word is creativity. However, along with the creativity, the designer sets off with a purpose in mind. In addition, the design must not only be creative, but also serve a function and the final outcome must satisfy the designer as well as the audience. Woven through this process from beginning to end is the creativity of the designer, since this is what is going to make it work or not.

I chose to be a graphic designer because I like to thinks of ways to communicate ideas and messages using images, colour, typography, shapes, concepts, etc. in creative ways. As a graphic designer I ask myself questions about what is the best way of getting messages across that would be appealing to the viewers. I like to try new things and get ideas from others, who perhaps, may have more experience and knowledge than I do. I enjoy doing what I do and by choosing Graphic Design as my career path I will express the passion that I have for it through my work. When I produce good work I feel satisfied and fulfilled.