A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

creativity

Utilizing different items for creativity

I don’t fancy myself a designer by any stretch.

When I first started in newspapers, my design ability was basically using Pagemaker for a semester at my college paper. Even then, I wasn’t all that good. Very basic.

Once I started at a daily newspaper, I needed to know a lot more. Lots and lots more. This included the basics of design, and understanding why things are placed in certain spots etc. It also meant learning different aspects of design and art programs, such as Photoshop, InDesign etc.

To say it’s helped me would be an understatement as I use a lot of what I learned back then in my professional life still to this day.

But it has also helped me in my personal projects because I understand a lot more. This isn’t about design, per say, but about the tools of the trade. See, I could talk about design for post after post and still not touch upon things that others know that would make my head spin. In fact, I consider myself average, at best, when it comes to design.

One thing I like to do is continually challenge myself, though. Part of that is learning new aspects about things like Photoshop etc. For example, using brushes and things like that.

That leads me to Creative Market.

And before I get going on Creative Market, let me say that I am not paid to talk about it. This is an honest thought about this website – one that I use often enough.

Creative Market is a website that allows people who do different design things to find useful items – at a good price. There are typefaces, fonts, backgrounds, brushes, stock photo packs and so many other things. These are ones for Photoshop or Illustrator or … well, you get the picture.

I love going there and checking out different things. I’ve purchased several things from there (usually the big bundles so I can get many different things at a good price) and it’s made designing things both professionally and personally a lot more fun.

One thing about surfing for different items I can use in designing different things is I get ideas. I see what people are doing and I see different looks and it helps me as I keep trying to improve. I love different fonts and typefaces. I like how people utilize backgrounds and such. It’s nice to start learning how to use so many different things. I realize all of these programs go much deeper than I have gone, so it’s nice to try and push myself to learn more.

The feature image for this post is something I put together quickly for this. It used some things I never would have done a year ago, but after buying some bundles of things at Creative Market, it got me learning some new things. Though it’s not some top-of-the-line graphic, I thought it was pretty cool and I like the way I’m going.

There is one problem with Creative Market, though. If I got loose on there for too long, I know I’d spend a ton of money … so I just look for now until I see something I feel I really need. Other than that, it goes on a wish list for down the line.

It has made doing some design fun, though. I look forward to more projects in the future to see what I can use and come up with!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

50 questions that free your mind: No. 14

As part of my Day Zero Project, I will be answering the 50 Questions That Free Your Mind. For each of these, I will blog an answer and then it will be linked here as well. Some of these will have longer responses, some will be extremely short. But by the end of the Day Zero Project, I will have answered all of these.

No. 14: Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?

Isn’t this something everyone can say about life as a whole?

Once again, this list baffles me. I have been holding off doing this question because I’m not sure what to say about it. I’m sure, at some point in my life, I’ve seen a piece of art that made me say “what in the name of holy hell do people see in this?” Then, after staring for a bit, I see it.

Example — I’m a fan of Pablo Picasso.

Many people will look at his art and wonder what he was doing, or how it’s art. I see some amazing work and creativity. The big thing is that art — and other mediums such as that — are based on personal preference.

So I could see it happen in many ways.

Without giving away too many details, I’ll give one example where I saw it.

When I was an adjunct instructor of English at a local college, I used a group writing project to try and have students help one another with their writing and have to be able to write a story, from beginning to end, as a group.

It required the meshing of many personalities, thoughts and ideas.

Further, some groups didn’t get along well (it was random draw). So, there would be confrontations or some members of the team would just go along with the more demanding members, just to get the project done. Being everything was done in class, I got to see the process unfold.

During one of the semesters, one group stuck out.

Their idea for a story (it was up to them — it could be about anything, fact or fiction) was off the wall. I questioned them and they assured me that the story would come together.

Sure enough, in the end, it was a hit. It was creative, well done and was voted, by the rest of the class, as the best story. So from insanity went creativity.

But look around. This happens everywhere. I’m sure something will happen soon to show it to me again!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook by clicking the button on the right side of the page!