If a blank canvas scares you, start small

An athlete stretches, a designer sketches.

“Great things are not done by impulse but by a series of small things brought together.”

~ Vincent Van Gogh

Are you frustrated every time you start designing a new project?

Do you feel like an impostor every time you start from a blank canvas?

Remember, there is no magic in transforming abstract ideas into tangible, beautiful, and functional designs, even if your muscle memory has been trained for many years. Your eyes have become accustomed to distinguishing between good and bad designs, even noticing 1px errors.

An athlete always stretches before doing what they are already trained for. So should the designer, take a baby step.

Here are the mindsets to adopt:

Ask yourself: What is one little thing I can do to make progress, even if it's only 1%?

• Sketch: Put your ideas into messy drawings before refining them to higher fidelity.

• Write: Put your thoughts into words before visualizing them.

• Exercise: Explore from the smallest elements or components.