Listen to your inner child: Think Small!

Special thanks to Shruthi Venkatesh for the beautiful cover image.

The life of a designer is tough. More so, when you face a creative block. The lack of motivation can really frustrate an artist when you are not at your best and cannot break the wall in front of you.

I come from a similar space as a designer sometimes, boxed up in jumbled thoughts. This is when I would stare at a blank wall for hours together and just walk away. Amidst these thoughts, I wondered how creative a child would be, without any inhibitions ?

As children, we never had to base our thoughts on the knowledge we possess. Instead we let our imagination loose and allow ourselves to be inspired by even the tiniest of things around us.

What happened next, as I followed up on these thoughts, was magical. I started looking at objects from a different perspective. I started thinking like a child, exploring possibilities I never would have contemplated as an educated adult.

As this approach helped me be a better designer, I realised this — our creativity is turned up a notch not when we are focused, but rather when we are not. I condensed that into a two word motto: “Think small”.

By allowing your mind to be in this state, like a child, you’ll find that the unconscious part of your mind does the work and eventually sends you a message.

‘Think Small’ workshop for designers at Freshworks

Keep ensuring that your motivation is high and your chances for success will be higher. Making sure that happens, depends on not thinking too grandly about what can be accomplished, but by taking a step back, and not rushing it.

Identify a place where you are relaxed, and where you can let yourself ponder over ideas, without feeling the pressure of committing them to your memory.

Take your time.

Don’t try to solve your problem or brief right then and there. Let it work at the back of your mind.

This is part of the 4S Method that can help you streamline your creative process,

Set

• Choose the right goal
• Focus on a single goal and set a clear target and deadline.
• Break your goal down into manageable steps.

Strategize

• Keep it simple
• Create an actionable plan
• Turn the plan into habits

Share

• Ask for help
• Tap into your social networks
• Use design community powers

Stick

• Practice with focus and effort
• Test and learn
• Reflect and celebrate success

“Don’t worry about mistakes. Making things out of mistakes, that’s creativity” ~ Peter Max

We would have heard people say “push your boundaries”, right?

But nobody told you, what is the boundary and how to push it. I’ve my tried best to identify the common layers of the challenges and that could help you spot where you are.

Go outside your style and find your inner child.

Growing up isn’t fun. We thought it would be, isn’t that right?

Try not to lie. When you were five years of age, sitting amidst your living room watching cartoons, you would’ve thought growing up would be amazing.

Below are a few instances where I brought my inner child back to life.

What is it that our inner child might request us to do?

Sometimes our inner child just needs a kick from our adult self to come join the party.

Kids don’t have much of a past to dwell over, so they don’t need to stress over anything, they are always free from both the past and the future.

Most importantly, kids live in the moment and take pride in knowing that even though the rest of the world may disagree, they still see this as a beautiful place with zero obligations.

I agree with what Pablo Picasso said,

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”

Every child is an artist by nature. We just need to shed our inhibitions and start believing the child you’ve known the best: yourself.

Yes, grown-ups have commitments, that kids don’t have. But dwelling in the past or the future does not help to perform any tasks or work.

Give yourself a chance to challenge your creativity. This time try to think like a child and wild. See what you can come up with.

Keep your inner child small and think small.

If you enjoyed this story, then show your support by sharing it. I invite your comments 💬 . Thank you for reading. Also, don’t forget to check out the whole presentation at slideshare.

About Author:
Hello! I’m Aditya Krishna a.k.a Aditya Dhotre, I have worked with a number of clients, both independently and through corporates. Sometimes, I’m fortunate to teach and give lectures. I’m fuelled by true passion, with an excellent eye for detail & craftsmanship. Currently Crafting Experiences at Freshworks.