Looking at other works, by reading the many digital art and design blogs, or rummaging through DeviantArt and saying to yourself that you can/can’t do that is all fine and dandy. Yes, it’s great to know what others are up to, and I wouldn’t recommend locking yourself up in a little artistic hole and not looking at other people’s work to most amateur artists, but I notice that it goes too far sometimes.
You can spend days looking for creative inspiration online, hell, probably months or even years. There’s so much out there. Set your StumbleUpon to ‘arts’ and fire away, you will never get done.
But what do you do with this inspiration? Does it really motivate you to think more creatively yourself? The most it could really accomplish is that you might feel more motivated to get more work done, or to work more efficiently, but there are many other ways to do this.
Forget the internet for a while, and set your eyes on some real inspiration that may not have been purposefully designed.
Find old books, go to the library or a bookshop, and take a look at what people used to think and draw and create years ago. I have this magnificent book filled with what were then futuristic looking spaceships from the 70′s. Those designs look ridiculous now, but just thinking about how that artist must have been thinking while creating those designs gets my synapses firing wildly.
Take a look at the outside world. Nature, the design of the city or town you live in, or a neighboring city, or a far away city. There’s a reason many great creative works have been made after traveling to far away places. Opening your mind really gets those inspirational juices flowing.
Look for inspiration in your friends, your family, your enemies, strangers even. Look at how they dress, how they act, what they do with their lives. If art imitates life, then a better understanding of how life works, how people work, will surely lead to a better understanding of how your art should work.
And lastly, take an introspective look at yourself. Why do you do what you do? What is the real source of your creativity? Understanding yourself is essential to understanding your creativity.
Inspiration is not looking at other artworks and saying “huh, cool!” Inspiration is the fuel to your creative process, it can come from the outside, it can come from the inside, it can come from other artworks, but it doesn’t have to. It is different for everyone, and if you want your artworks to be of higher quality, you’d better figure out what really inspires you.
No, I really don't have anything else to stuff my sidebar with, sorry. Not in the mood for ads. All the important stuff is on the left anyway, so look over there!
The Best Sources of Inspiration Ever
Looking at other works, by reading the many digital art and design blogs, or rummaging through DeviantArt and saying to yourself that you can/can’t do that is all fine and dandy. Yes, it’s great to know what others are up to, and I wouldn’t recommend locking yourself up in a little artistic hole and not looking at other people’s work to most amateur artists, but I notice that it goes too far sometimes.
You can spend days looking for creative inspiration online, hell, probably months or even years. There’s so much out there. Set your StumbleUpon to ‘arts’ and fire away, you will never get done.
But what do you do with this inspiration? Does it really motivate you to think more creatively yourself? The most it could really accomplish is that you might feel more motivated to get more work done, or to work more efficiently, but there are many other ways to do this.
Forget the internet for a while, and set your eyes on some real inspiration that may not have been purposefully designed.
Find old books, go to the library or a bookshop, and take a look at what people used to think and draw and create years ago. I have this magnificent book filled with what were then futuristic looking spaceships from the 70′s. Those designs look ridiculous now, but just thinking about how that artist must have been thinking while creating those designs gets my synapses firing wildly.
Take a look at the outside world. Nature, the design of the city or town you live in, or a neighboring city, or a far away city. There’s a reason many great creative works have been made after traveling to far away places. Opening your mind really gets those inspirational juices flowing.
Look for inspiration in your friends, your family, your enemies, strangers even. Look at how they dress, how they act, what they do with their lives. If art imitates life, then a better understanding of how life works, how people work, will surely lead to a better understanding of how your art should work.
And lastly, take an introspective look at yourself. Why do you do what you do? What is the real source of your creativity? Understanding yourself is essential to understanding your creativity.
Inspiration is not looking at other artworks and saying “huh, cool!” Inspiration is the fuel to your creative process, it can come from the outside, it can come from the inside, it can come from other artworks, but it doesn’t have to. It is different for everyone, and if you want your artworks to be of higher quality, you’d better figure out what really inspires you.