The biggest obstacle a designer can
have, among many, is designer's block. Feeling stumped, stuck in
this inspirationless, creativeless never ending void of no-idea, is
pretty much a problem everyone faces. Be it for writing an essay, or coming up
with an art homework, we sometimes don't know what to do to overcome it.
Instead, panic kicks in, giving us this overwhelming feeling of impending doom,
as if the apocalypse will happen if we don't think up something soon.
Since the assignment
given was to find a 'solution' to a problem, the video I created narrates about
how I get hit with designer's block -which feels like a ton of bricks on my
brain, and how I found a ‘solution’. But sometimes, even when I do have ideas,
I tend to keep to myself for not having the confidence to let out my ideas. The
timidness which restraints me from unleashing whatever idea I have storming
around up there, the fear of being rejected, unaccepted, or even laughed at for
thinking up something so ridiculous, childish and lame. It’s like there is a
wall towering ahead of me, and I don't have the confidence to scale it.
How do we overcome it?
The obstacle that which is what most people define as life, everything and
nothing, at the same time. What is it that I am afraid of? Is it really the
rejection? Or maybe I am just afraid to face the unknown. Fear. The reality of
being afraid of the unknown to the point where I completely avoid trying, just
so I don't have to face the outcome. But what good does that do? People learn through
experiences and unless I stand up to my fears, challenge myself and face them,
I will never learn anything.
I have to face my problems. Grab it by the
neck and stare down its face. To move forward, we all have to start somewhere,
even if it means falling back a little sometimes. Because, without failure, we
would not be who we are. What we have, and even the people surrounding our
lives, all go through the same processes. The only difference is the obstacles
faced, and how we face them.
The picture of a bird, about to
take flight, which I painted using watercolour paint-mixed-with-soap bubbles in the
video. The huge bubble made out of smaller bubbles which is holding the bird,
represents my ideas, hopes and inspirations. I painted it on a wall, signifying
the wall as designer’s block and the bird as freedom. Hence, getting over
designer’s block –or the start of it, as the bird is about to take flight, or
in other words, allowing the bird to fly over the wall that I sometimes put up
to keep ideas I don’t feel confident about, in. Therefore, allowing my ideas
and dreams to spread their wings and fly freely without restraint.
In a way,
it also means, if you have the means to, why restrain yourself? Just let it out.
Be free. I mean, if you have the chance to fly, why not just go for it? Dare to
dream. To take action. You can never succeed without trying.
*DISCLAIMER* btw, don't say I didn't warn you on how amateur-ish the video looks. you have been warned. move your mouse away from the link if you don't want to waste 6 mins+ of your life
so ta-da! here's the link to my video. on youtube. I would rather have uploaded it here on blogger, but for some inexplicable reason blogger keeps coming up with this stupid notifier that says blogger is having problems with uploading my video. yay. B[
