10 Lessons Every Creative Person Needs to Learn

Creative people come in all shapes and forms, but the creative lessons that we all need to learn stay the same. You have graphic designers, photographers, animators, architects and everything else in between. What glues everyone together is a set of ten universal lessons that ring true in practically every single industry.

So, here are 10 things that all creatives must learn!

Experts aren’t always the answer

There are hundreds of thousands of experts in all creative fields, all with their own advice and wisdom to impart. The important thing to remember is that nothing you learn from the experts, the blogs, the webinars and seminars is concrete. You should listen to the experts, of course, but remember that, at the end of the day, being a creative is about you and your ideas.

Clients cannot tell you what they need

When a client hires you, it’s because they know they want you to do something, but they don’t necessarily know what that thing is. If you’re a graphic designer, some clients will think that they know the best way to lay out information, but they likely don’t. This is where you and your knowledge come in.

It’s your job to provide the best possible solution for your client based on your knowledge and understanding of your creative discipline. Listen to your clients, find out what it is they want, and set about creating a solution that’ll work best – even if that means ignoring their initial ideas.

Don’t aim for better, aim for different

Aiming to be better than someone or something implies that you’re following in their footsteps, repeating the same processes and making changes as you go. Then on the flip side, there’s always going to be someone better than you, following the path that you’ve taken. Instead of aiming to be better, you should instead aim to be different.

By thinking different, but developing different systems, carving your own path and making your own footsteps, you’re much more likely to find your unique style and way of working. Being unique, and being different, will make you stand out from the crowd.

Big challenges create the best work

When you get a big project land on your desk, it’s often all too easy to start worrying and filling up with imposter syndrome. But it’s with the projects that the best work is created. They force you to push your skills and knowledge into new areas. As they say, great things happen outside of the comfort zone.

The fundamentals matter more than you may think

You’d be surprised how many creatives don’t have a firm grasp of the fundamentals of things like design, colour theory, lighting, composition, typography, and much more. Part of creating great work for a client is also being able to explain why this particular photo is better than all the rest, or why this variation of the logo represents their brand much more effectively than the rest.

Before you start advertising yourself to get clients in the door, make sure you have at least a basic understanding of the fundamental aspects of whatever creative discipline you work with.

Simple is good

Do you know the old saying “less is more”? Well, that applies to pretty much everything. The number one reason why a design will fail to catch the eye of the viewer is because it’s too busy. You don’t have to go full-blown-minimalist everything you make, but remembering to keep a focus on only the essential information is vital.

Make mistakes – and learn from them

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Getting things wrong is key to the process of learning and developing your skills. What’s important is that you learn from your mistakes. When something fails, look into the reasons why. Being armed with this knowledge will ensure you’re better able to tackle the next project that lands in the inbox.

Avoiding failure isn’t the goal – learning from failure is.

Value isn’t price

As a freelance creative, you’re thrown into a pool with thousands of others all vying for the same clients. It can be tempting to just lower your prices so you’re the number one choice, but it’s not as simple as that.

Focus on the value you provide, and how you can demonstrate that to your prospective clients. Can you create a better poster than your competition? Can you put together a website more efficiently? Providing value is much more than just having a lower price.

Real recognise real

That saying works as much in the creative industry as it works in hip-hop culture. When you’re on the top of your game, you attract other creatives who are also at their peak. If your work isn’t hitting high levels, then, well, you’ll be surrounded by a similar level of creative. Aim to create great work, and have a circle of connections creating – ideally – better work. This forces you to level up your skills.

Create – and create often

You can sit at a desk and write down any number of ideas – things you want to photograph, art you want to make, logos you want to design – but the most important thing is that you actually follow through with your plans.

If you want to attract clients and make a name for yourself in your industry, you need a steady supply of your work hitting the Internet. Create, pump out work, and put it online as often as you possibly can.

If you’re struggling to come up with ideas, here’s a list of four projects to get you started.

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