Sometimes finding the inspiration for something can be a difficult task. My brain is usually running ideas for school projects, but it can be hard to find inspiration to do projects for fun. These are some tricks that I use to find inspiration and ideas for new projects to keep my mind occupied.
One way I get inspired is by reading books. If I read something in a novel that just sticks with me, then I turn that into art. This could be a few lines of a book that stood out to me, or I could even design something for that whole chapter. Whether it was the content of that text or just how that text made me feel, it’s a good way to take how you feel and put meaning to it.
Another way I can find inspiration is by using colors around me. While I’m sitting here writing this paragraph I’m looking for colors around me and noticed something: my Solset lamp that has just inspired me to make a new design. It has blue center that fades out to a teal-green color, providing me with a color palette to design something new. Other times I find colors to use by squinting my eyes at the world around me and looking at color blobs around me. It sounds weird, but it works for me. Just seeing different colors can set off a “spark” in my mind for me to make something new.
Doodling is a great way for me to find inspiration. I did lot’s of doodling in high school, mostly just blobs or lines. But, I’d add to those things. Blobs would get turned into little characters or animals, and lines would turn into funky, random patterns. Even if the final project wasn’t really a “project”, doodling was a great way for me to find inspiration in something and give it meaning.
Inspiration can also come randomly, and unexpectedly. Sometimes I’ve gotten inspiration from something from a dream (if you ever do, write it down after you wake up so you don’t forget it). Or maybe it was something that my friend had said that gave me an idea for a project. Wherever inspiration comes from in your life, don’t dwell on it, take action and make it happen!
