25 Creative Tips from the #Ps25Under25 Artists

As our 25th year of Photoshop draws to a close (our 26th birthday is tomorrow… hint, hint), I want to take a moment to celebrate the creative minds who helped make this year so inspiring. Many of you followed along as we introduced 25 artists under the age of 25 on our Instagram channel.

This group represents such a diverse set of young creatives: illustrators, photographers, graphic designers, textile artists, animators, 3D artists and everything in between. They’re from all around the world: from right here in California, to Germany, South Africa, Canada, Indonesia, and other places I can only dream of visiting.

To reflect on last year’s creative journey, we checked back in with each of these artists to further pick their unbelievably creative brains:

What is one thing you hope to accomplish creatively in 2016?

I hope to transpose all the ideas and imaginations that are going through my head. I want to meet more creative people, get inspired by them and grow as an artist. And of course I hope 2016 will also be a year full of spontaneous journeys. – Mehran Djojan, Age 20, Germany

There’s always a lot to learn and experience, that’s why I love to travel around the world, that’s why my dearest project for 2016 is the creation and weekly publication of a comic based on my adventures, experiences and persons I met during my travels in South America and also about the ones that are coming. – Christian Benavides, Age 23, Colombia

As I am currently pursuing my Masters in Textile Design at Philadelphia University, I want to gain every single bit of knowledge that this field has to offer and absorb my learning in my day to day practice as a designer as well as an individual. I wish to continue learning new things, find new inspiration, travel to the utmost and most of all keep designing. – Insiyah Shahpurwalla, Age 24, India

I’m still exploring different styles and want to find the one that represents my personality in the best way. Graphic design is a never ending journey for me – and that’s the thing that I love most about this industry. – Peter Tarka, Age 22, Poland

I hope that my solo exhibition will be held in China in 2016. – Teddy Kang, Age 24, Canada

What do you do when you hit a creative block to get back to your creative zone?

I usually just look at other artists’ work with a pencil and paper in my hand. I find that I get really inspired to draw when I see other illustrators’ creative output. Sometimes if the block is too big to get around, I just stop and take a break. I go out for a run, take a nap, watch a movie or read a good book. – Geraldine Sy, Age 23, Philippines

The most important and most difficult thing we have to do every day is to take a step back and have a new look at our work. Maybe by doing something totally different for a moment, you can then appreciate what you’ve done with new eyes. I also like to ask someone who’s not familiar with the project at all to know what is their first feeling and if it’s what I wanted to transmit. – Alice Bouchardon, Age 23, France

When I hit a creative block I usually go for a walk, and when I come back I start drawing in my sketchbook with no rules, no limits. That sense of freedom helps me see new ways of exploring things that I am trying to achieve and I can then transfer that mindset to my projects. – Fredy Santiago, Age 24, USA

For inspiration, I mostly look around, wherever I am, observing various little pieces of typography that catch my attention, like shop logos, old newspaper headlines, etc. – Mark van Leeuwen, Age 16, Italy

If I got this question in my early days as an illustrator, I would have said: “Get out of your workroom and read some books for a while.” But my present self would answer, “Push your limits.” For me, creative process in illustrating is like taking part in a marathon run — once I decide to slow down and walk when the pain comes on, my rhythm would unravel. So, don’t stop, but don’t be too hard on yourself. – Evan Raditya Pratomo, Age 24, Indonesia

Who are your favorite artists right now?

No doubt, the guy who inspired me from the beginning was Erik Johansson. I even managed to talk with him. He told me that if I do things with love, I receive that love back. Besides him, I have followed the trajectory of other #Ps25Under25 artists, eventually becoming friends with some of them. They inspire me a lot and I plan to meet them all one day. – Thiago Garcia, Age 15, Brazil

There are many artists that I like right now, I don’t want to miss anyone, but I can mention Flora Borsi. – Ahmed Emad Eldin, Age 18, Egypt

A lot of the other 25 under 25 artists have become real inspirations creatively, but designers such as Tobias Van Schneider still take the biscuit. – Tom Anders Watkins, Age 20, UK

One of the most inspiring for me right now is Tim Burton. A giant catalog of his drawings is sitting on my shelf, ready to get picked up whenever I need some inspiration. You can clearly see his influence in my recent illustrations. – Martin Schneider, Age 19, Germany

I really love Geoff McFetridge’s and Moonassi’s work. I find them both so inspiring and I love the way they treat their subject matters in their illustrations. – Jocelyn Tsaih, Age 22, China

What piece of your work best represents you and why?

Probably my photo “crash“. Model aviation is another passion of mine, and the spectacularness of the failure in the picture somehow seems representative. – Zev Hoover, Age 16, USA

The piece that represents me the most is a multiple exposure I did of my friend. It utilizes one of my favorite art forms and art that uses original photos is a lot closer to me as a whole. – Brandon Saunders, Age 15, Cayman Islands

I think the piece I did for the #PS25under25 project is a good representation of who I am. The brief was to look inward and to create something that truly represents you as a creative; as tough of a challenge as that was, that’s what I tried to achieve. – Sonia Dearling, Age 23, South Africa

The pieces that best represent my work are the ones that show travel. Theme-wise, I like playing with the idea of being lost and found. – Leonard Peng, Age 23, USA

This portrait gets close – it’s open, but somehow strong in it’s vulnerability. I feel like that’s very me. – David Uzochukwu, Age 16, Belgium

What’s one piece of advice that you’d give to other young creatives?

Make a lot of art. Make a lot of art that you love. It has to be fun, and it should mean something to you. Simply enjoying it is meaning enough. Don’t sacrifice your comfort in your art for something superficial. Stick to what you love doing. – Reylia Slaby, Age 22, Japan

Start with doing things almost on a daily basis. Find your niche, learn new techniques, develop your style and practice what you enjoy the most. – Rron Nushi, Age 23, Netherlands

Don’t give up, it takes time to make it to the top. If you are really interested in this occupation you will never be satisfied with your work, but that doesn’t mean your work is not good enough. Give time to yourself. – Flora Borsi, Age 21, Hungary

Watch other people work, ask yourself which technique they have used, why they picked the colors they use, lighting, details, etc. And learn. Find your own techniques, experiment and have a lot of fun. Then share it with the world and have a good time! – Bram Vanhaeren, Age 24, Belgium

Take risks. Practice as much as you can. Step out of your comfort zone. Have a personal manifesto – it will get you far and establish your core values, abide by it. Another thing that I would always recommend is doing personal projects. They always kept me motivated and moving forward. – Shaivalini Kumar, Age 24, India