What do you do for inspiration?

[Bluesong]

This goes out to all you graphic cats or anyone else in a creative field. It would be interesting to know what you do when you need inspiration?

Sometimes an idea will just come to me instantly. I can see it before I ever start on it. But what do you do when you hit a stump? If you do this long enough, there will be a time when all you can draw is a blank. How do you stimulate the creative juices?

[VIIBanners]

When I hit a wall and draw blank it helps to just not look at your computer for a while. Take a break and think about it casually without the self implied pressure of demanding instant results.

As far as getting the creative juices flowing.... Do an activity not related to your project that is creative or stimulating to bothyour right and leftbrain. I play music or draw. In school we were encouraged to sketch abstract ideas related to the problem or project. These sketches were anything from simple line drawings, word stringsorspatial relationships...etc... really any kind of "purging" of thoughtsthatare not directly related to your final product. In the early stages of designit is best to have alarge quantityof ideas. From there you can take a particularidea and go with it, usually the final product is a melding of ideas you came up with in the abstract process.

I Hope that helps, everyone is different but this is what works for me.

[kauffman21]

sounds like you have to be creative to regain creativity.....i try not to think that much. lol

[VIIBanners]

kauffman21 wrote: sounds like you have to be creative to regain creativity.....i try not to think that much. lolSorry man, he asked. Sometimes you don't need to do that stuff...just trying to help.

[Bluesong]

Hey VIIBanners. Good to see you back in the graphic house. Sounds like some great ideas to me.

I was hoping everyone would offer something. Getting all the g-cats talking again.

[crazycatfan]

I like to look at other graphics and get the juices going that way. I may like the text of something else and build the graphic around that.

[kauffman21]

i know, lol i was just joshin' you before. what i usually do when im drawing blanks..pun intended, is i'll go to google image search, search for whatever my main topic is, then find pics and look at different text, mess with different b/g's and after its all said and done about 2-3hrs of fiddl'in i cant stop the ideas from coming. when i got ideas, i can pop out 5-10 gfx a day...but i also go weeks with nothing...writers are the same way. i think its all about each person...but thats how i deal with it.

[VIIBanners]

kauffman21 wrote: i know, lol i was just joshin' you before. what i usually do when im drawing blanks..pun intended, is i'll go to google image search, search for whatever my main topic is, then find pics and look at different text, mess with different b/g's and after its all said and done about 2-3hrs of fiddl'in i cant stop the ideas from coming. when i got ideas, i can pop out 5-10 gfx a day...but i also go weeks with nothing...writers are the same way. i think its all about each person...but thats how i deal with it.I really like the effect on your sig (on the UK)... what is it?

[VIIBanners]

Blue_Knight wrote: Hey VIIBanners. Good to see you back in the graphic house. Sounds like some great ideas to me.

I was hoping everyone would offer something. Getting all the g-cats talking again.
Good to be back... I am only part time right now. I've been lurking a little:blush:, I can't resist. I am still hugely busy, but I really want to take a shot at the new t-shirt design. The last one was really good, but Any of them could have been great. I must admit, I am a little intimidated by these "new guys":cool:... they do really good work. I am still running 5.5 and don't have a lot of the effects. We all need to communicate more on the graphic front and share ideas and files... tips...etc.

[kauffman21]

i do that with a couple of filters i picked up along the way.....plastic wrap, lens flare, acouple of invert layer's, and airbrush. Im using photoshop 5.5 also. the same program since '98 before the newer ps's came out it was easy to find filters and brushes for 5.5, but now i cant find anything that goes with it.

[BigBlueAngus]

I always surf for porn :shock:

[Bluesong]

BigBlueAngus wrote: I always surf for porn :shock:

LMAO....not those kind of creative juices. Good to see you back in the old graphic shop, BBA.

[VIIBanners]

BigBlueAngus wrote: I always surf for porn :shock:
Aw man, I had to take a double take... hilarious!

[BigBlueAngus]

Blue_Knight wrote: BigBlueAngus wrote: I always surf for porn :shock:

LMAO....not those kind of creative juices. Good to see you back in the old graphic shop, BBA.
Thanks, Good to be back. Hopefully my job is slowing down enough that I can contribute a little more.