Taking it back to basics

It wasn’t until recently that I realized the importance of the statement, “taken it back to basics.” It hit me like being caught in the rain without an umbrella. In life we all get lost, maybe only for a moment or some my stay lost. It maybe in one area or aspect of your life or it could involve your whole life. There are those who are spiritually lost, some are physically lost, lost in relationship(s), lost in their jobs or maybe on their career path. In my case, I have been lost on the path of creativity. Looking at my portfolio you might not believe me or even realize what I am even talking about, but for me, oh I know I have lost myself somewhere in between the lines of being creativitly me (is that even a word?) and being what or who the world wants someone to be as a creative.

There are so many areas, stages and/or forms of creativity, and the term creativity gets so over used by people in a wide range of industries. But that is a whole different blog story.

By passing the stages of design creativity and getting right down to business has become a norm for lately, which is unacceptable to me. That’s for the “dime a dozen” designers who go straight to the computer to knock out their next $75 design. What? NO! Wait a minute, not having here! I will no longer go with the flow of the ocean that I have been swallowed up by. I will not stand with all the cheap designers and watch as years of unique creativity goes to the waste side any longer!

What does that mean? It’s simple, I’m taking it back to the basics of creativity and design! It’s time to head back to the old school ways of real and true creativity. It all starts with a drawing utensil (pencil, pen, marker, crayons, ketchup) and some scratch paper, napkin whatever is handy at the time of the first initial though. I spent years in a variety of art classes where creativity and imagination flowed freely into art and design. Learning techniques that could be applied to any given masterpiece, and lately I look at my work and think “that is no masterpiece of mine.” I don’t want to just be the “graphic designer “ that I have boxed myself back into being. No, I want to be the artist I started off to be, the drool-worthy, top of the line, inspiring artistic designer I set out to be many years ago. The rain hit my face hard waking me up to a realization that I find myself pushed to the side with all the “graphic designers” that have not been properly educated. My BA degree in Art and Design state otherwise.

What does “taken it back to basics” even mean at this point? It’s simple, it means putting down the computer or electronic that a standard graphic designer uses and pick back up the HB pencil or maybe using the micron 02 pen, just maybe pulling out the Prismacolor pencils with a side of charcoal and knocking out the design the old school way! Now those are the tools of a creative designer, an artistic designer! That is where you can tell the difference between a truly creative artistic graphic designer and some designer "want-to-be" that can only use a computer and some vector art someone else created for them to use.

I’m going to step back up to the drafting table, start push the limits again, hammer out good high quality designs that start with the true tools of the trade and improve with each design a more powerful, more respectable piece of art or design that I can be proud of. It’s time for me to step back away from the “dollar designers” and bring back what makes design great again! It’s time to get noticed for what really sets me out from the crowded area of “graphic designers.” Lets artistically create creative stellar designs!

What's in your toolbox?