You may have heard of famous artists who start their day with a specific habit to give themselves a creative boost. Something to get the juices flowing.

 

A visual artist might doodle something to activate their creativity, or a writer might have a short prose writing prompt to warm things up.

 

Creatives look for a simple on switch to help orient their energy towards the zone, as they move into a new day of art with inspiration.

 

Being a graphic designer is hard work! It takes discipline. When you are a freelancer, you need to maintain a seemingly-endless supply of creative impulses and positive, can-do emotions.

 

Having an ‘off’ day isn’t an option if the bills need to get paid. The life of a creative is risky…and rewarding.

 

As a graphic designer, how can you give yourself a daily boost of creative inspiration? Is there an easy way to orient your day?

 

We’re going to look at how you can glean from the wisdom and experience of others in our industry. We’ll explore some of the top blogs for design industry trends and cutting-edge techniques.

 

We know you’re already spending time scrolling on social media, so let’s hijack your digital surfing habits — for creative inspiration! Let’s explore the world of blogs for creatives like us!

Blogs and Creativity

At Aventive Academy, we specialize in providing business education to freelance graphic designers.

 

No matter if you are an experienced freelancer or just starting out, in our courses we are passionate about answering the question: what can I do today to grow my freelance design business? We emphasize practical actions that will show you how to get freelance clients as a creative running a business.

 

We also know that the current digital communications and media options are so numerous that they can be overwhelming. As freelance designers, we’ve found that having a few high-quality blogs to follow provides us with regular touchpoints for business knowledge and creative inspiration.

 

Your clients are counting on you to keep your creative tank full, and we’ve found some resources that are quick-and-easy to access while being chockful of inspiring content.

 

It could also be that you’ve thought about writing your own blog as part of your business’s marketing and networking strategy. We wrote an article to help you decide where to commit your media promotion energy: “Should Creatives Start a Blog, Podcast, or YouTube Channel?”

 

Below, we’d like to introduce you to a few of our favorite blogs for creatives. Check out some of the posts we’ve highlighted and see if you agree that there is an ocean of creativity waiting for you! We’ve found the sources that can jump start your artistic day with fresh insight and inspiration.

Dribbble

Dribbble is an online hang-out for creatives. The website is full of interesting resources including information on jobs, industry trends, and networking opportunities. While there is a plethora of information offered on the site, we want to direct your attention to their design blog, Courtside.

 

Along with recent blog articles focused on emerging trends, there are also fascinating interviews featuring national and international creatives that you might know. Here’s a valuable post to check out: Knowing your Audience and Building a Creative Empire

 

This feature article with graphic designer, illustrator, and freelance entrepreneur Diane Pascual reviews the highlights of her dynamic decade in the industry.

 

With a focus on sustainability, Diane launched her freelance business during a time of personal and creative burnout. We get to find out how she charged out of her creative funk…and ended up with a thriving business!

 

Dribbble articles are filled with information on how to navigate the digital marketplace for selling. The interview with Diane shows how to navigate new promotional territory through key advice she received from others along her journey to success.

 

While you’re on the site, check out Dribbbles’ Inspiration feature, with a showcase of recent work by top creatives!

Millo

Millo self-describes as “passionate freelancers on a mission to help you…build a business that gives you ultimate freedom and happiness.” Millo’s website is dedicated to helping freelancers excel.

 

Specializing in freelancer-specific resources, including podcasts, media features, and blogs, Millo has everything you need to give your creativity the rocket fuel you need.

 

You’ll get a burst of inspiration from a wide variety of high-quality blog posts and expert features. Here’s a recent article we enjoyed: 9 Steps to Go from Freelancer to Agency

 

The blog is a practical guide that helps you decide if you have what it takes to move from being a one-person freelancer to a graphic design agency.

 

Millo takes you through mindset issues (thinking like an agency), scaling factors (creating systems to handle growth), and the critical element of where to focus your energy (effective hiring, marketing, and attention to the bottom-line).

 

Millo’s readers are a dedicated group of freelancers focused on growing their businesses, and you can follow Millo for best-in-class resources and ideas.

JUST Creative

Are you a brand designer who likes to glean tips and ideas from top professionals? Here’s another site that features an extensive blog collection, as well as information on industry tools, resources, and an in-house podcast. Their founder, Jacob Cass, has done it all and wants to share what he’s learned with us!

 

JUST Creative is a branding agency, as well as a top online hang-out spot for creatives. They are the creatives behind the branding for Netflix’s hit Jerry Seinfeld show, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

 

Jacob and his team have experience with top retailers (Nike, Disney, and Nintendo, to name a few of their clients) and they use their blogs to communicate what they’ve learned to the start-up freelancer and growing design business owner.

 

Here’s a recent blog article to check out: What it Takes to Reach 6 Figures as a Freelancer

 

In this article, you’ll find out how a brand designer and strategist used key focus points to double her annual sales and reach her revenue goal of $100K/year. The article is short – just enough for a morning inspiration boost.

 

You’ll learn where to focus your attention — mindset, confidence, sales, goals, and customer satisfaction. Reading blogs like these will move you towards your own success story!

Inspiration Grid

Inspiration Grid is a “daily design inspiration for creatives,” and their website is a feast for your eyes. With resources pulled from around the globe, you’ll be up-to-date on current design trends and will find plenty of fresh ideas to prime your creative flow.

 

Their breadth is impressive, with creatives featured from branding to graphic design, advertising to architecture, logo design to packaging…and everything in-between!

 

Take a look at their pop culture feature page for the latest on design, illustrations, and eye-popping creativity (for example, here’s a visual treat for Lego lovers).

 

If you’re a brand designer or creative, you know that the talent and ideas spilling out of South America is inspiring. Check out this recent blog article featuring Brazilian designer, Lilia Quinaud, and her coffee branding project: Sol Coffee Branding & Packaging

 

With rich visuals, inspiring stories, and plenty of links to additional resources, Inspiration Grid will keep you stoked for your freelance projects.

Aventive Academy

We can’t pass by great blog sites without tooting our own horn! Our website’s blog archive has timely, practical, inspirational, and informative articles, all ready to be applied directly to your professional growth.

 

If you learned a bit today from this blog, we hope you will check out some of our other popular posts:

• 7 Easy Steps to Starting Your Graphic Design Business
• 11 Proven Ways to Get Freelance Clients
• 5 Ways to Stay Focused as a Freelance Graphic Designer

 

Bookmark Aventive’s blog page as a friendly and supportive source for your professional development as a creative, with solid tips on how to scale your freelance graphic design business. Our articles follow our passions and pass along our best tips and lessons learned…to you!

Being Your Most Creative

We’ve highlighted a lot of information and resources today. Don’t feel overwhelmed! Take in the wonder and the inspiration of it all.

 

Our goal is to show you that a habit of connecting online for a daily dose of relevant creativity is a wonderful way to jumpstart your day, your inspirational flow, and your freelance business.

 

Think about bookmarking this article. And maybe put a note on your calendar, to remind yourself to check out more of the blogs we featured. It’s exciting to know that every link will take you somewhere new, with fresh insights, expert advise, and creative inspiration.

 

Do you have a favorite design industry or freelancing blog that we might have missed? We’d love to hear about your favorites, too!

 

Drop us a line on Instagram and tell us what has filled your sails with inspiration and given you the fresh vision to take your creative impulses, and your freelance business, to the next level.

 

And if you’re ready to learn how to get graphic design clients, improve your portfolio, and grow your freelance business, check out our signature course the Money-Making Freelance Bundle!