Finding Inspiration
(Cross-posted from the CSS Tinderbox. Originally posted on March 27, 2008)
Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to follow what we’re most familiar with and unfortunately that means our creativity can get bogged down if we don’t stop and reconnect every so often by reaching beyond the daily rut we may find ourselves in.
Where designers find their individual inspiration and how they work is as varied as the ideas and concepts they eventually create so the following is by no means a definitive list for everyone. But maybe you can use one or two.
Art Books and Magazines
The library is a good place to start when searching for art books mainly because there’s no cost involved. It really doesn’t matter what the art subject is if you’re at a total loss for ideas. In fact you’re better off by just letting your mind and eye jump from one genre to the next, especially if you’re not already familiar it. The idea is to step outside of your usual travels and tendencies for a fresh or even an estranged perspective.
If your local library leaves something to be desired, then head to a book store like Borders or Barnes and Nobles where you can take your time and search for ideas. Don’t forget to thumb through the art/design trade magazines too because they show the most up-to-date trends and showcase new artists.
Music
Find a CD or song that you haven’t listened to in a really long time to reconnect with a particular time in your life that you may have forgotten about. I don’t mean to spark deep, serious feelings (unless you’re searching for some introspection of course) but just open up some memories or ideas you’ve lost track of.
For me, I hit up Rhapsody and search for bands or songs that pop into my head and go from there. Now this technique is never fool-proof, but if you manage to find the right songs, it can bring a big spark of inspiration because it can bring back ideas or concepts you haven’t thought about in years.
Childhood Creations and Trinkets
Again, this isn’t a search for the deeper meaning of your life and why you turned out the way you did so you can blame your parents but looking for anything to spark your creativity.
If you’re able to get your hands on them, go through things that you made or collected when you were a young kid. Maybe you tried to develop an idea or thought back in grade school art class but couldn’t quite tackle but now, with years of experience and technique under your belt, you know exactly what to do with it.
You never know, even a scrap of paper or an odd trinket can lead to something you can use in a design. Open up your mind and let it run.
Keep a Design Journal
This isn’t about a place to look for ideas but how to capture them when they hit you. Get a journal or notebook that you can easily carry around or keep handy and make sure it’s big enough so that you can sketch out your ideas.
Don’t worry about formatting or keeping it clean and orderly. When something hits you, write it down and/or sketch it out as it comes to you, just try to capture as much as you can. Place found images or objects in there too, anything that sparks an idea.
It’s important that don’t look at this journal as a to-do list; don’t stamp the feeling that you have to accomplish all of the ideas in the journal or otherwise you suck as a designer and human being. It’s not about what you have to do, but just capturing your ideas and inspiration before they’re gone.
Dealing with Frustration
I’m not even sure if it’s possible to actually compare drinking with designing, but at least the adage of “know when to say when” can be easily applied to both.
It’s a given that eventually you’re going to be working on an idea and no matter what you do, it just won’t work. But it doesn’t mean that you should flip your desk, and hurtle insanely through the window. Even if you are under a deadline crunch, make a conscious effort to step away from the project and give yourself time to untwist.
I’d really like to tell you that by busting out the Xbox 360 at this point will do wonders for you but alas this is not true.
The best thing you can do when you’re all bunched up and frustrated is to move around and get some air. Try not to think of the project or even other things you have to get done like paying the bills or washing the dishes. This small break is meant to refresh your mind and even your body so just stick to that.
Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to follow what we’re most familiar with and unfortunately that means our creativity can get bogged down if we don’t stop and reconnect every so often by reaching beyond the daily rut we may find ourselves in.
Where designers find their individual inspiration and how they work is as varied as the ideas and concepts they eventually create so the following is by no means a definitive list for everyone. But maybe you can use one or two.
Art Books and Magazines
The library is a good place to start when searching for art books mainly because there’s no cost involved. It really doesn’t matter what the art subject is if you’re at a total loss for ideas. In fact you’re better off by just letting your mind and eye jump from one genre to the next, especially if you’re not already familiar it. The idea is to step outside of your usual travels and tendencies for a fresh or even an estranged perspective.
If your local library leaves something to be desired, then head to a book store like Borders or Barnes and Nobles where you can take your time and search for ideas. Don’t forget to thumb through the art/design trade magazines too because they show the most up-to-date trends and showcase new artists.
Music
Find a CD or song that you haven’t listened to in a really long time to reconnect with a particular time in your life that you may have forgotten about. I don’t mean to spark deep, serious feelings (unless you’re searching for some introspection of course) but just open up some memories or ideas you’ve lost track of.
For me, I hit up Rhapsody and search for bands or songs that pop into my head and go from there. Now this technique is never fool-proof, but if you manage to find the right songs, it can bring a big spark of inspiration because it can bring back ideas or concepts you haven’t thought about in years.
Childhood Creations and Trinkets
Again, this isn’t a search for the deeper meaning of your life and why you turned out the way you did so you can blame your parents but looking for anything to spark your creativity.
If you’re able to get your hands on them, go through things that you made or collected when you were a young kid. Maybe you tried to develop an idea or thought back in grade school art class but couldn’t quite tackle but now, with years of experience and technique under your belt, you know exactly what to do with it.
You never know, even a scrap of paper or an odd trinket can lead to something you can use in a design. Open up your mind and let it run.
Keep a Design Journal
This isn’t about a place to look for ideas but how to capture them when they hit you. Get a journal or notebook that you can easily carry around or keep handy and make sure it’s big enough so that you can sketch out your ideas.
Don’t worry about formatting or keeping it clean and orderly. When something hits you, write it down and/or sketch it out as it comes to you, just try to capture as much as you can. Place found images or objects in there too, anything that sparks an idea.
It’s important that don’t look at this journal as a to-do list; don’t stamp the feeling that you have to accomplish all of the ideas in the journal or otherwise you suck as a designer and human being. It’s not about what you have to do, but just capturing your ideas and inspiration before they’re gone.
Dealing with Frustration
I’m not even sure if it’s possible to actually compare drinking with designing, but at least the adage of “know when to say when” can be easily applied to both.
It’s a given that eventually you’re going to be working on an idea and no matter what you do, it just won’t work. But it doesn’t mean that you should flip your desk, and hurtle insanely through the window. Even if you are under a deadline crunch, make a conscious effort to step away from the project and give yourself time to untwist.
I’d really like to tell you that by busting out the Xbox 360 at this point will do wonders for you but alas this is not true.
The best thing you can do when you’re all bunched up and frustrated is to move around and get some air. Try not to think of the project or even other things you have to get done like paying the bills or washing the dishes. This small break is meant to refresh your mind and even your body so just stick to that.
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