Learning and dealing with inspiration are two different things, but they both tie into each other. What I learned is, it’s good to learn and hear about how others get inspiration, when you’re lacking on finding inspiration for certain areas of your work or just in general. Inspiration is not the easiest thing to deal with all the time, simply because it can be hard to find as well as it’s hard to get inspiration and not copy it rather than use it to inspire; for me at least. A couple of things I learn about inspiration was how to deal with lacking it as well as not enjoying a project you’re currently working on.
In any instance, you may not always get a project you enjoy or want to work on. It’s your job as the creative to put your own touch on it or the project will never show or inflict any emotion. The project will just be a job and that’s not how you want to see it. You always want to try to give any of your work that extra/personal touch. You want to try to make the project yours in anyway possible. I learned to be fun with any art I create because at the end of the day, my name goes onto the project and I’d rather be explaining why I did something I put little touches onto here and there then something I just slapped together and gave none of my passion to. Inspiration can come from anywhere, but it’s what you then do with the inspiration is what makes a proud piece. I also learned it’s good to find one thing and be amazing at it. While you can know many things about your field, it’s great to be amazing at a certain talent. If you can be amazing at one thing, then it shows how hard you can work and what you can put out as a designer.
In relation, you always want to give 200% because whoever you’re working with at the time will remember how much effort you put into the project once they’re looking for someone for something else; or if you ever need a reference. No matter what, it’s always a good bet to put your best foot forward, people will remember you went the extra mile and that’s something I really learned. I also learned while giving a project your 200% attention and dedication, it’s important to show your own personal touch and give it a piece of you. Many times you may not have entire control over how something goes onto a project, so it’s important to showcase your design and how you work so when it comes time, you can explain yourself as well as have something to inspire you. It’s important to have fun with a project, whether big or little it makes the project easier to design as well as easy to present when the time comes.Things such as Easter eggs, signature colors or fonts, etc. Help distinguish one designer from the other.
Finding inspiration, can sometimes be challenging especially when I’m trying my best to create something one hundred percent original, in a world where it seems like everything has been done. It’s constantly a challenge to use things around me to inspire me, but to not use it in my work. I constantly have to make sure the work that I saw a week ago doesn’t replicate in the work I started designing today. My inspiration mainly comes from today’s society. I’ve noticed many ads today look alike, whether it be color scheme, font choice or the copy; many of the ads look the same. Although they all convey different aspects and have different qualities about each other that are different; I often feel if I wasn’t a visual person I’d easily forget about the ads and who was selling what. In return, when I notice an ad that looks different than the rest it catches my attention,which is what I use for inspiration. I use it to fuel my ideas and think different than the ‘norm’ I try my best to go in the route of the designer who did create and designed the different ad. It also helps looking at the ads, which are all different but created the same (color, text and copy wise) as inspiration. My main cause is because if things that I have designed look anything similar to things I see on a daily basis, they need to be changed.
My inspiration also come from my life. If I need a ‘happy’ design I think of objects, colors, phrases that make me happy and make me smile. I also use life experience I have been through or have seen happen to help in the process when I try to think of a way to convey my message. Since I enjoy creating advertising the most, I notice it helps to know the way the consumer thinks and what they want to hear. IE why I remember certain things about my life and my experience. If I’m upset or sad and I’m seeing something that is trying to sell me something that is going to make me happy I rather it not be a cheesy, yet well delivered line. I rather the tag/headline get straight to the point and let me know what is being sold. It’s the same for depending on what kind of place I am advertising for. For example, a billboard most of the time won’t be seen. Unless there’s an unbearable amount of traffic. Most people won’t take but a quick glance at it, so I know as a designer I have to make the important information the top of my hierarchy list while as,maybe small details that can be found on the website are smaller in order to save space. Whereas, a magazine ad has to be eye catching from the moment the reader flips the page because if it’s not and they decide to flip the page it’s missed opportunity for something that could’ve got more attention. Color and font that separate from the magazine itself help with this.
Today’s media and society helps with inspiration because in today’s world people are constantly creating and coming up with new ideas. Unlike old times, anyone can become rich and famous for many different things so this is what helps inspire my designs. Often times I look at work and believe that nothing can be done greatly if it has already been done, but when I see a new idea surface and I see someone else have a different take on something that has already been done, it helps me realize how I can twist and manipulate something to put my own spin on it, which then begins the ideas floating around my head. Seeing other people twist and turn things to make it their own helps my ideas and helps give my inspiration to do the same. While it has ‘already’ been done, it helps me create something different. Once I’ve given the idea my own ideas and design I normally begin to start to think of things that can be done differently, which then helps me create something new and original. All in All, my inspiration normally comes from things around me and the world that I live in. There is so much art and different ideas floating around due to everyone creating it’s hard for me to not find inspiration from around me.