Creativity can be elusive. Sometimes you’re so stuck in a creative rut that moving forward with a project seems impossible. Being in a creative funk can be annoying, especially when being creative is a key part of your business. Luckily there is a solution to all of our creative lackluster woes: Pinterest.
Pinterest is a great creative tool to have in your toolbelt. Not only can Pinterest help keep you inspired, but it can also introduce you to a multitude of techniques that you’ve never considered before. For example, maybe you didn’t think about having a picture breakout of a solid shape. Maybe you didn’t think to use a gradient as a background. Maybe you found a beautiful font combination that would be perfect for the aesthetic you’re trying to create. The creative possibilities are endless!
Having a Pinterest account can spark your imagination and makes it easier to collect ideas through inspiration boards. Having an inspiration board set up on Pinterest can be extremely beneficial. This will be the place that you can save anything that would, well, inspire you. You can also pin images you find on the web to your boards for the future. For example, I have a whole board dedicated to creative inspiration that I add to every day and can look back at whenever I’m feeling stuck. These boards are an excellent resource for collecting images/ideas.
Pinterest boards can also be a great tool for collecting images for your Mood Boards. Mood boards, for those who don’t know, is a collection of images, colors, and visual ideas that you put together to convey a general feeling/idea of the project you’re trying to make. It’s exactly like that quote we all know, “A picture is worth a thousand words”. The idea with the mood board is to visually explain what you want to bring forward with your project. They are there to help you to figure out how you’d like to start a design and they can also keep you on track during the design process.
Although Pinterest is a wonderful wealth of image resources and creativity, it’s important to discuss inspiration vs. copying. You can use ideas and aspects of multiple ideas to inspire you for your design. You can let someone else’s design open your eyes to possibilities (“what!? I can do that!?”). However, don’t use a design that someone else has put time into and copy it. That’s considered plagiarism and that’s something that no one appreciates.
The only time this rule is negated is when you’re using a template. Templates, though not unique, can help you make or get started on a design. They’re especially helpful if you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing. If your finding it’s hard to design on your own but you want to do it yourself we typically suggest to our clients to use Canva. Canva provides free templates to help you get started with your designs. However, it’s important to note that even with a template and inspiration from Pinterest, you need to stay on brand. If you’re making a design for your company and it’s not matching your style and values it doesn’t do you any favors. Consistency is key!
Now that you know all that Pinterest has to offer it’s time to get out of that creative funk and press onward!