Inspiration?

[Chelley]

As creative types we all have to find inspiration to create. Where do you find yours?

[Rebeccadee]

I am inspired by reading books, watching films and well crafted TV shows (Sopranos, Mad Men, Six Feet Under) and listening to This American Life & The Moth from NPR which portray rich characters and their relationships in ways that are complex and poignant. I find that my creativity fluctuates, and sometimes I need to focus on "filling the well" with new authors and ideas. I think I'm moving into that phase right now, actually.

Great question! It has helped to focus me on where I am in my creative process

[Kim]

When ideas pop into my head, I write them down on 3x5 index cards. Then I file the ideas by medium: song ideas, paintings, comics, dog training, etc. Now I can never procrastinate on making art because "I have no ideas." I've got an entire box of inspiration in the kitchen.

Yes, I'm a freak.

[DollarBill]

I'm pretty inspired by music. It's annoying to me that I'm most inspired to write music when I'm listening to a song that I love. Then I want to write music, but all I can think of is the song I just heard. It would help if I was a better musician, but then I'd have to practice.

But I think we've touched on this topic before, and someone brought up that it's often better to write or create when you aren't "feeling inspired". I think the reasoning is that if you wait until you're inspired, you'll never get anything done. But if you're creating all the time then you'll actually end up with better results anyway because you're getting more practice and you don't need to be inspired by anything so it's more original anyway. Practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice practice... etc.

[Jon Bolden]

I'm usually inspired by breaking my routine. When I went to Europe last year, I had more ideas than I'd ever had and I'm convinced because I was so out of my daily routine and culture.

Flying on airplanes also forces you to just sit still (unless you turn on your stupid phone or laptop). I recommend taking a journal with you and just letting thoughts flow like honey into a cup of joy. What?

I agree with Billy, practice! Leads to discovery. One of the reasons I love open improv jams and mixers so much.

[Asaf]

Here are some things I have been inspired by lately:

- The opening credits of Hitchcock's Saboteur

- Eckhart Tolle's book A New Earth

- The Marx Brothers' Animal Crackers and how the movie goes from comedy to espionage thriller to romantic musical and has it all work. It is like a filmed variety special.

- the way kids share stories, they are determined to get through it even though they have no idea where it ends

- Curtis when he is drunk. Just imagine a guy who is naturally hilarious when he even less censorship over himself.

[Spaztique]

I get mine from...

-Art books/Imageboards/Any collection of artful pictures.
-Music; mostly ambient, orchestral, stock music, or something with the right lyrics.
-Playing music.
-Traveling long distances/going out and seeing unfamiliar places.
-Using public transportation, which is like the previous, only you're with a bunch of strangers.
-Lucid dreams.
-Bad fiction, just to see if it could still work with a little editing.
-Good fiction, obviously.
-TVTropes

[valetoile]

I'm often very taken with a very particular idea- like one movie, one song, one article of clothing or outfit, one combination of color, one new technique; and then I'll see how many ways I can push that one thing into other things.

[mpbrockman]

I'm pretty inspired by music. It's annoying to me that I'm most inspired to write music when I'm listening to a song that I love. Then I want to write music, but all I can think of is the song I just heard. It would help if I was a better musician, but then I'd have to practice.

But I think we've touched on this topic before, and someone brought up that it's often better to write or create when you aren't "feeling inspired". I think the reasoning is that if you wait until you're inspired, you'll never get anything done. But if you're creating all the time then you'll actually end up with better results anyway because you're getting more practice and you don't need to be inspired by anything so it's more original anyway.

I think I was the guy that said that, or at least something similar. When I've got a deadline to meet I have to write something, inspired or not. Oddly, the results tend to come out pretty evenly. Partially because I've been doing it for a long time and know the tricks, and partially because when you're really inspired it's hard to be objective and check yourself. Sometimes you get good stuff, but a lot of times you get too wrapped up to step back and ask yourself "Is this actually any good".

That said, I get a lot of lyrical inspiration from books, especially short stories and mythology. Sometimes there's a an undeveloped character in there that's really interesting or just says one good line and then I want to write his/her backstory. A lot of times I write a short story of my own before I write a song. About a year ago I got a really good song out of the Persephone myth just by asking myself "What if she's still making those trips?"

Musically, I get a lot of inspiration from poetry. Read a good poem over and over until the scansion is stuck in your brain. Try reading it while substituting nonsense syllables for the actual words. When I do this eventually I start to hear melody and then the bass line - the rest follows.

Of course, it works in a lot of ways. Lots of times I have to break, do something else, and let my subconscious work. Eventually I get what I want. My girlfriend is used to my jumping up in the the middle of doing something else and running to the studio because I just heard what I wanted in my head and need to get a scratch track down fast. I've also just sat down at the keyboard and something just pour out and sat there wondering "Where the f**k did that come from?" You just never know.

I agree with Rebeccadee that sometimes you need to refill the well, too. Sometimes a week without touching an instrument makes them all seem fresh when you come back.

One more thing: people watching. When I lived in LA I used to love to go to LAX and watch people and make up stories about them. Airports are so charged with emotion - goodbyes, hellos and all that. Of course that was when you could still walk into the terminal. Now you can't get in. Plus, sitting in an airport with a pad making detailed notes tends to make TSA people nervous.

[Curtis + computer]

- Curtis when he is drunk. Just imagine a guy who is naturally hilarious when he even less censorship over himself.

Uh-oh. What did I say this time?