Picture this: Your driving along the coast on a warm summer’s evening, windows down, and fresh air blowing on your face. You turn a corner and the most beautiful golden sunset hits your eyes. What do you do? You stop to fill your mind and breath in the visually magnificent once in lifetime sunset. Next, you browse to your favorite site or artist on a warm summer’s evening, favorite song playing, and fresh brewed coffee smell hitting your face. You click on the front page and there’s a new post with a drawing of an amazing golden summer sunset that they did that captured the same beauty.
The reason I had you picture those two different but alike scenarios is to ask, What is the better inspiration?
My answer is both, we can’t really have one without the other. Sure we can look at other people’s work, but they had to get their work from somewhere too.
I live and breath the ever growing web design world, any design really. I find inspiration in all areas: internet, TV, nature, clothes, people, and typography. The list could keep going forever. I really find inspiration in other people’s work. It amazes me the creative, unique, mind blowing, and inspiring artists we have in the web and design world. Some of my favorite artists and designers include:
James White, Chris Wallace, Aaron Irizarry, Kyle Steed, Josh Cagwin, Adelle Charles, David Leggett and the list goes on. They each have their own personal and different ways of creativness, whether it’s simplicity, creativity, aesthetics, or shear talent. They all have one thing in common and that is community. They’re both willing and want to share their work or passions with other people. I usually find they go above and beyond to encourage and motivate other people. Their passion is to see other people share their passion.
So, share some of your favorite places, sites, designs, or artist that inspires you.
I’ll leave you with some of my own inspiration:
and my favorite design quote by the Fuel Brand Team -
“GET INSPIRED“
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Mike,
Nice read, and thanks for the props man. I love the simple quote “GET INSPIRED” as well. It’s so simple and in your face.
There are so many ways that I get inspired and the inspiration can hit me at anytime. It usually comes when I least expect it. I carry a sketchpad that’s filled with line after line of ideas that come to my head. A lot of my inspiration come from art, music, outdoors and of course our peers.
Sharing our work or passions with others is a very important piece to what we do. It’s a complete waste not to and only hurts people that don’t.
Thanks for the good read.
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Great post Mike!!
I find it amazing how we often fall into the habit of browsing the endless galleries and websites to find inspiration when there are some many other options out there where you can gather unique perspectives on our design and design process.
The other week I mentioned on Aaron Irizarry’s blog about how I started taking morning trips into Downtown Portland to reflect and simply just observe the world around me. I take nothing but my keys, wallet(for some morning hot cocoa!) and a notebook. I sit outside and just observe the hustle and bustle of a busy morning weekday downtown. I tend to look at all the various people and their unique movements, voices, shapes, sizes, colors, etc…
Since Im not much of the drawing type, I use words and phrases to describe whatever it is that shoots through my head at the time. As my notebook turns into what looks like the working of a schizophrenic, lol its a good reflection piece when I come back home.
Sometimes stepping away from your computer with an intention of just clearing your thoughts and refreshing your mind can do great things.
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@Josh C. & @Josh H. – the sketchpad in my previous years of design work was absent, but now I love to be able to sketch or write inspiration and have it to look back on. Thanks for sharing.
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I was just looking at New York architecture, and thinking about how cool and individual each building is along with all of their details. But then I was also reminded that there’s a great need to step away from what is man-made and take in the architecture of nature, made by our Creator. It’s great to be able to be inspired by both.
On a second note, I’m also thankful for this “open-source,” sharing mentality going around right now. It’s good that people allow others to build and modify their own work (themes, plug-ins, etc.)to suit the needs of each individual. Thanks for helping this newbie get his feet wet in the whole blogging, website, and design world.
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Thanks Mike. Very well put and I totally agree! You’ve got a lot of “Josh” fans
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