How do you guys?

How do you guys create things? Like, I could never think up of how I want something to look. And if I do think of something, I cant make it come to life. :P

First problem I can't help you with I am afraid, the second one is just a matter of knowing the program.

Practice alot and you'll get better for sure. Now it is the talent that will decide how much better.

one thing you can try is to draw, and draw A LOT, either by hand or in photoshop/ illustrator/ other programs. and don't be picky about subject matter, you could do things from observation/life (people, objects, landscapes, etc.) or imagination. after awhile a particular style might emerge, and if you were sketching by hand, you can try translating that into photoshop (scan/alter/trace/whatever you can come up with). deal with textures/colours later, i think developing a personal style will get you started.

to start with, you have to understand what design is for. the point is not to make something look cool, the point is to communicate something. maybe its an idea, a concept, a message...whatever it is, that's your starting point.

now think about HOW you're communicating it. how are you approaching the problem, what unique ways of conveying this can you come up with? what theme or tone do you want to use? this is where brainstorming comes is, looking at what parts of your message need to be emphasized the most and how you're going to emphasize them...with color, size, shape, etc.

the final part is the graphics, style, etc. by now this should pretty much have developed itself through the other parts of the process. depending on your project these different pieces may have some in a slightly different order, but they should all be there. if they're not you either don't have anything you're trying to communicate (in which case my question would be "why are you designing this thing?") or you haven't figured out how to prioritize your message (which should take you back to trying to figure out what needs to be communicated).

recommended reading:
Creativity for Graphic Designers: A Real-World Guide to Idea Generation--From Defining Your Message to Selecting the Best Idea for Your Printed Piece by Mark Oldach

The Elements of Graphic Design: Space, Unity, Page Architecture, and Type by Alexander W. White

hope that helps...

chris