Being creative is not always easy, but it’s what makes people admire you and your work. It’s also what allows you to leave your own signature style on projects that you work on.

Running through all of these examples, you will see that being creative doesn’t just come from thinking outside the box or experimenting with new styles, it comes from exploring different ideas and concepts, finding motivation for them, and then putting those together into something whole and meaningful.

That’s why having a source of inspiration is so important. An architecture student might look at many buildings, studying their shapes, proportions, and how they are built, but there's more to be learned.

A musician could study music theory, harmony, and rhythm, but beyond that, there’s the element of expression. A painter can learn about color theories and mixing, but aside from that, there’s the concept of perception, which includes tone, value, and shape.

In this article I would like to talk about one of the most basic sources of creativity we have as humans: imagery.

Practice drawing in different positions

One of the most important things to do as an aspiring architect is practice your drawing, whether it’s still life, figure, landscape, or architecture drawings. Architectural drawing can be categorized into three main styles: perspective, free-hand, and grid.

Perspective drawing is when you draw a parallel line across the picture frame and that lines gets longer the farther away you are from the object being drawn. This creates a 3D effect because we perceive depth based on how our eyes work. Perspective comes in very handy when designing buildings, such as making sure doors and windows look good by using the proper ratio between them and the room they are in.

Landscape drawing is just like normal drawing, except instead of creating shapes, you create compositions. An example of this would be taking a walk outside and trying to make pictures out of what you see. When doing so, try incorporating vertical and horizontal lines for balance and rhythm.

Free-hand drawing does not have strict rules, which makes it more artistic. Try experimenting with various forms, textures, colors, and thicknesses to add some variety to your art. Free-hand drawing allows your creative side to take over!

All of these types of drawing can be practiced any place at any time. You do not need a studio to learn architectural drawing! All you really need is a notebook to keep all of your ideas organized.

Create art and design in your head

Being creative is not about having lots of cool ideas, it’s being able to translate an idea into something other people can perceive as beautiful. It is creating things that people will recognize as clever or artistic even if they don’t know what you were thinking when you designed them.

Many great architects create buildings that look very different from each other, but all have something unique going for them. They are all interesting and well-designed.

Creativity does not come easily to everyone, but there are ways to improve yours! Here are some tips to help you be more creative in architecture.

Take time to admire and study examples of great architectural designs. You do not need to spend large amounts of money on expensive courses, many free resources exist online and in books. There are also plenty of blogs with inspiring pictures and information.

Practice making sketches and drawings yourself, using simple shapes and materials. Once you feel comfortable drawing basic forms, add decorations to show how designing can include painting, patterning, and illustrating.

Use your imagination

Being creative is not about sticking pictures of seahorses onto walls or creating elaborate sculptures of elephants. It is exploring new ideas through research, experimentation, and expression.

Being creative is looking at the world around you and thinking about ways to apply what you learn to make something new that uses those lessons well.

It is bringing together elements you know like shapes, materials, and concepts and using them in novel ways to create environments, objects, or stories.

It is thinking outside of the box by incorporating unexpected strategies and approaches into familiar formats.

And it is doing all of this while keeping an open mind so that you can enjoy the process.

If you’re ever feeling limited because of the restrictions set upon you by others, take breaks and do things that challenge your creativity. Take art classes, study other cultures’ architectural styles, read books with inspiring cover images — anything that forces you to reevaluate how you approach making things.

Your own style will emerge as you explore different possibilities.

Get rid of limitations

A lot of people get stuck when it comes to being creative as an architect. They don’t know what tools to use, or how to apply them to concepts for buildings and landscapes.

There are many things that can hold someone back from developing their creativity. Sometimes, though not always, it is because they do not have the knowledge base to work with.

As architects, we need to be familiar with all types of building materials, structures, and styles. But sometimes there is no reason to add another book to our collection unless you feel like your current one isn’t quite enough.

It is very possible to develop your architectural creativity without reading any other books beyond the basics. You just have to learn about making changes to existing designs, experimenting with new materials, and creating your own unique style.

Try new things

Being creative is not about sticking to your style, it’s exploring different styles! Trying something new can inspire new ideas.

As seen with our example above, looking into other architectural styles gives you an eye-opening perspective of how certain shapes and concepts are put together. By studying these buildings, you will discover new ways to apply them to your own designs or develop new ones yourself.

By being exposed to various types of architecture, you give yourself more room for creativity. An easy way to start is by taking some art classes. You could also take up pottery or jewelry making, both of which use materials and techniques that go beyond just painting or cutting stones.

Another way to try out new design strategies is to read architectural books. There are many great resources available online and through libraries. You do not have to buy any books, however, unless you want to!

Once you find a book that inspires you, look at it very closely. Are there anything specific to this architect’t style? What methods did they use for shaping this object or designing this space? Apply those to your own work!

Creativity does not come naturally to everyone, but we all have secrets we keep inside us. We must expose ourselves to what doesn’t seem fluid to make it flow.

Connect with other artists

Being creative is not just having fun drawing, it’s exploring new ideas and styles, developing your artistic skills, and interacting with others who share your passion for creativity.

By being more connected with other people who are passionate about art, you will find that inspiration keeps flowing and your own creativity will flourish.

Architecture is a design discipline that can easily draw comparisons to arts such as painting or sculpture. Like these disciplines, architects must be trained in their field, but they don’t have to work alone. They can collaborate with other designers and/or builders to create beautiful works of architecture.

Collaboration is an integral part of the architectural process. Architects spend time working together in groups, discussing concepts, finding common ground, and then combining those ideas into something unique.

There are many ways to connect with other artists — from Instagram accounts featuring artwork and tips on how to be creative, to meeting up at a local event sponsored by an artist organization or university.

Challenge yourself

Being creative is not always about designing elaborate buildings or exploring new styles, it can be as simple as creating your own style. You do not need advanced drawing software to create beautiful pictures!

There are many ways to be creative. Creating something out of nothing is an art form in itself. Taking things from other sources and re-arranging them into another setting is also a way to get inspiration and creativity.

Throwing together pieces of furniture or finding materials you have never used before is another way to inspire yourself.

By being exposed to different types of artists, designers, and architects, you will find that there are still lots of secrets they keep to themselves. By experimenting with these concepts, you will learn more about how to be creative.

Your imagination is one of your greatest assets.

Learn to prioritize

Being creative is about learning how to prioritize. You will find that some projects take much longer than expected, so you have to be able to hold off on starting them until you have time for them.

As human beings we spend a lot of time thinking about what we want and trying to achieve it. We’re constantly looking at ways to improve ourselves or things that we are not doing well yet trying to figure out why they don’t seem to be working. This can easily spill over into other areas of your life including work and school.

In the case of architecture, one of the most important things you can do is learn how to use space effectively. It may sound simple, but too many people forget about spatial relationships when designing spaces.

This can sometimes result in poor usability or even uncomfortable experiences for users. For example, if there is no way to move away from an intrusive element such as a phone app while using something else, then people will avoid using the product because they feel distracted or overwhelmed.