What keeps good creative alive?

A question that is personal to every designer. What keeps good creative alive?  There is no wrong answer because we are all inspired by different things. The key ingredient is passion. Whatever we decide to do, we give it everything we have and a bit more. You can ask almost any designer and they can tell you about their passions. Of course, we are all passionate about design, that’s why we do what we do, but sometimes it’s our passions outside of design that give us that creative edge. In our studio, the list ranges from whitewater rafting to teaching dance, staying fit with running and yoga, taking alone time to meditate and reflect, painting a canvas for the office and building furniture, and snowboarding, just to name a few. We work hard and we play hard.

My project of late has been this painting inspired by Seattle. I enjoy coming home and having dinner with my family and then taking some time to get alone with the canvas and create. You may be asking how that can be much different from what I do at work. First, I love to work with my hands. Sometimes getting away from the computer and making something is just the thing to keep my creative edge. Second, I love to design for clients, but inevitably with clients comes a set of perimeters or set expectations that sometimes can limit creativity. When it’s just me and a blank canvas, I can let my mind be open and create something that is inspiring and fun.

So ask yourself, what keeps your creative alive? We’d love to hear about it.