There are days when I have my sketch book and get a million ideas (maybe not a million, but quite a bit). Then there are days when I wrack my brain to try and get one that doesn't look like I designed it while under the influence of prescription cold medicine. Sometimes when I am working on something that I have already sketched a rough design idea of, I get bogged down and just can't go any further with it. The things that can bring you out of those are interesting and sometimes quite strange indeed.
There have been projects where a song, or a memory would cause me to have sudden insight into what I wanted on my sketch book or computer screen. Colors and images I wouldn't normally use just seemed to pop in certain moods.
I was assigned a project in a very basic graphics class where we had to design a typeface. Yup! Design a typeface. Everyone in the class started sketching and doodling, my sketch pad was blank. At the time I was also working a couple of jobs, so after class that day I went to work. I was a parking attendant at a city parking lot. There was one lot that was right next to a shady tennis court, which was where I got stationed that day. Since it was slow I had my sketch book with me and would try my hardest to come up with SOMETHING!
That's when I saw it! Lizards! No one had done lizards yet. It was original, it was... too boring! So I changed my lizards to geckos. It was right around the time Geico came out with their cute, comical spokesperson. My teacher would be thrilled! At least I thought so. She wasn't that impressed (I probably shouldn't have made them eat the tail of the other one to form letters), but the point is I found inspiration in a strange place.
When you are designing something (whether it's graphics related or even a living room!), what strange places have you found inspiration?
I typically like to write, so I manage to draw inspiration from who only knows where!!! A lot of it is simply a random Ally McBeal moment, really. There are times that I WANT to do one thing, but I know that it's very unlikely, so I think it - and then write it :) Since I am a complete cynic, it usually ends up what I wanted to do, instead of what I did do. Then again, that is starting to get more outrageous, since, with age, I am losing my polite filter. Yeah, I had one of those!!! I totally understand, though. Random inspiration, exactly where you weren't looking for it!
ReplyDeleteLoss of the polite filter can be harmful sometimes, though I think censoring yourself is not the best thing in the world. I mean, hey we don't censor our road rage right? (oh check the alliteration there).
ReplyDelete"Random inspiration, exactly where you weren't looking for it!" is exactly right!