Aral Balkan

I was waiting for my drink at the cafe in my local Borders when I saw a couple of design books in the tidy pile by the counter. The first one, Colour by Ambrose/Harris looks like a lovely read and was what originally caught my attention. Under it, was a book titled Great Graphics on a Budget by dixonbaxi. I wasn't as interested but thought I'd flip through it anyway and I'm glad I did. On page 28, there's a great list of tips for creative thinking that I wholeheartedly agree with:

• Don't believe your own hype.
• Have a goal (or many).
• Try some things with no end result.
• Be aware.
• Talk to other designers.
• Talk to people other than designers.
• Make mistakes.
• Don't use technology as an excuse.
• Keep learning.
• Be true to what you believe in.
• Be humble.
• Work hard.
• Don't think about it, do it! ← One of my favorites!
• Teach
• Be selfish.
• Share.
• Have fun. ← Another favorite. If you're not doing this on a daily basis, then you're doing something wrong (or you're doing the wrong thing!)

Comments

• A great list indeed and may I say what a great topic for a User group meeting! Hey Aral, please contact me when you get the chance (I know you're a busy man) as I'd like you to come and speak at my Stockholm user group! I'd be very pleased with an Adobe Acrobat (former Breeze) preso alone ;-). Cheers.

  by Johan Lopes on 2006-11-07 19:57:52

• Creative Thinking... Being a “nine to fiver” in an industry that isn’t even slightly creative can sometimes suck the creativity right out of me. My side job is my real passion. Design. So after a long week of drab, “vanilla”, cubicle slavery, ...

  by dieselfueled on 2006-11-10 22:16:51

• That's a really great list. Although, I'd change it from "don't think about it.." to "don't overthink about it..." :-)

  by Kristin Henry on 2006-11-04 21:25:15

• Great list. This reminds me of the "Top Ten Things They Never Taught Me in Design School": http://www.designobserver.com/archives/000121.html I'm no designer myself, but I think it applies to anybody creating things.

  by Brian Deitte on 2006-11-04 22:46:38

• I agree with most of these but had to make some corrections ... "Don’t use technology as an excuse" ... use the creators of the technology as an excuse! ;) "Be humble" ... gotta have to erase this one or you will never make a living! ... Unless this doesn't count for payments!

  by sascha/hdrs on 2006-11-05 03:27:20

• superb. Short and sweet. very much useful

  by sathishraj on 2006-11-06 07:27:13

• [...] Tips for creative thinking: Aunque muchas son obvias, no siempre se aplican. [...]

  by genblog » Blog Archive » Más genética on 2006-11-06 07:35:33

• Totally agree on most of the list. Allthough I would change the last into: "Kill your darlings!". Something my teacher on school of the arts used to say ...

  by Patrick Pietens on 2006-11-08 00:44:26

• Great list. I would add: "Know how much you don't know"

  by Michael Kaufman on 2006-11-09 01:19:28

• Hrmm, you've been busy as of late, Aral? ; } I'd like to chime in with, "Expand your consciousness daily in hopes that you might catch an early peek at what you yet don't know that you yet don't know". And for all that don't know, the color, "sclreoun", is by far the most beautiful color not yet discovered. One droplet would transform anyone's worst design, into a modern masterpiece. Don't bother scouring your RGB/CMYK/HSB palette's, you won't find it there... muahahahaha

  by LEE on 2006-11-09 08:11:29

• just got bryce 5.5. don't know how to use it. can anyone help an anxious and willing student?

  by meurice on 2006-11-09 14:36:13

• 很棒！

  by 椰林 on 2006-12-16 04:33:03

• [...] Folgende Liste hab ich auf Aral Balkans Blog gefunden. Die Liste ist mir nur grad eingefallen, da ich zur Zeit wieder ein bisschen kreativ sein muss. [...]

  by gulap » Archiv » Tips for creative Thinking on 2007-02-13 18:59:51

• Hi, My first time at your blog. Your post on tips for creative thinking reminded me of the artist Richard Diebenkorn's "Notes to myself on beginning a painting". I lost my copy of them (I used to use them when teaching) so had to go another blog to find them... so this copy comes from the blog of an artist called Nola Meme in Canada. Her blog is http://nolameme.blogspot.com Diebenkorn says... 1. Attempt what is not certain. Certainty may or may not come later. It may then be a valuable delusion. 2. The pretty, initial position which falls short of completeness is not to be valued - except as a stimulus for further moves. 3. Do search. But in order to find other than what is searched for. 4. Use and respond to the initial fresh qualities but consider them absolutely expendable. 5. Don't "discover" a subject - of any kind. 6. Somehow don't be bored - but if you must, use it in action. Use its destructive potential. 7. Mistakes can't be erased but they move you from your present position. 8. Keep thinking about Polyanna. 9. Tolerate chaos. 10. Be careful only in a perverse way. Good list... you think?

  by Simon Middleton on 2008-08-09 19:56:17