“I’m not a creative person” is a phrase you’ve probably heard people say before but what they really mean is they don’t practise being creative.

No-one is born “creative”. We all have to work at it. You’re a designer not because design comes naturally but because you sit down everyday and design.

The main difference between you and the people who believe they aren’t creative is you practise creativity regularly and they don’t. Inevitably, there will be times for “creative” people when the creativity doesn’t come as easily and the motivation drops.

This is where another creative hobby comes in handy.

A creative hobby allows the creativity to keep flowing even when you’re not working. This can be anything from painting to writing. For me it’s photography but it’s a popular hobby amongst designers in general as composing a photo shares some similarities with designing. I like to think of it as designing with the real world.

It’s best to do something without the pressure of making money. Do it for the love of doing it. That’s why I specifically refer to it as a hobby.

You need to lift the pressure of trying to please other people and make yourself creatively happy. This can come in the form of personal web design projects too but I find it more effective if it isn’t the same activity you do everyday.

Exercise Your Creative Muscles

Creativity is like exercise. If haven’t been running for a while, the first time you try again isn’t going to be easy but the more you do it, the further you will be able to go each time. Creativity gets easier over time, if you practise regularly.

A creative hobby strengthens your creative muscles and just like exercise, you have to keep working at it to keep strong.