Merry Christmas everyone..

As a designer I’ve found that staying motivated can become increasingly difficult.

Some of the best ideas I’ve had (how ever few they may have been) have come to me when I’ve been inspired, excited and motivated about my work.  I still have a LONG way to go in terms of being even an average joe designer, but I intend to keep on at it untill I’m satisfied with where I am as a designer.

Kevin Cornell from ‘A list Apart’ has written a nice piece on ‘Staying Motivated’.
In fact, even small articles like these are enough to keep one motivated enough to push themselves to do good work.

This is a must read in my opinion.

I think finally it’s all up to us to stay motivated and no amount of external influence is ever going to change that. But if you’ve made the decision and generally need a nudge (or a boot) in the right direction, I think this could help you find your starting point.

Enjoy!

Here’s a very interesting article on how to get more design work by ‘Collis Ta’eed’.
In terms of how great the article is, I would give it a 3.5/5, maybe a 4/5. (So in my opinion it’s definitely worth a read and some attention)

A lot of what the article covers is common sense but can easily be overlooked as well.

For those of you who’re too lazy to click on the link and go through it, here’s a brief overview:

• Push yourself and get good
• Be likable, excited and enthusiastic
• Be referable
• Design a portfolio you think clients want to see (and not what you’d design to show other designers)
• Focus on clients and be flexible
• Get a high profile

Cheers!

Custom Shapes by Hebedesign.
You can download the shapes from here. I must say it’s a very neat custom shapes pack.

Props to the guys from PSDTUTS for the link.