Creativity

I think creativity is a process, not an innate gift. I believe creativity can be taught. Here are some ways I come up with ideas for illustrations, designs, etc.

The Word Bank
When I’m stuck in a rut and don’t know what to draw, I simply write down subject matter to be illustrated. I create a list: palm tree, wolf, alien, waves. These are just topics for content. In this exercise, I ignore how to draw something and instead focus on what to draw. Maybe I pick one thing to draw, but why not combine 10 things in one?

The Tear Sheet
Making tear sheets is perfect for inspiring how I might design/draw something. I spend hours doing this. I find it cathartic. Illustrators and art makers should be building on the past. There’s a rich history of art styles—and designers should become familiar with it.

The Remix
Nearly a decade in, Chomp has amassed a large bank of intellectual property. And because of that, we can remix any trusty-old graphic from the past. I’m doing this on our Instagram in real-time.

Re-contextualize
This is simply taking familiar subject matter and changing the context. I once did a series of Spanglish posters. I illustrated familiar movies and turned them into telenovelas. Star Wars became El Star Wars. Obi-Wan became Obi Juan, and so on. I’m half Dominican, so Spanglish is my native tongue.