The demands of design can take their toll on even the most inventive minds. Generating creative designs day after day can be tiring, and let’s be honest: some days you just don’t feel it. And scanning others’ design portfolios for inspiration can be as demoralizing as it can be revitalizing as the same motifs repeat themselves. When you’re looking for inspiration often the same old sources become quickly tired.
Fortunately, inspiration can be found in the most unlikely places. Recharge your creative batteries by delving into the following list of uncommon sources for creative inspiration.
Architecture
The vast world of interior design and architecture holds untapped potential for inspiration on every project. The world of architecture has moved through so many trends from Gothic to Art Deco that no matter whose taste you’re catering for, you’re bound to stumble on something that suits.
“Architects such as Gaudi are world-renowned for their design,” says Sandra Panos, freelance writer at Draftbeyond and Last Minute Writing. “Barcelona is dotted with buildings swirling to the heavens in surreal and surprising ways that toy with your expectations and perspective.” The best thing about seeking architecture to be inspired by is that it encourages you to get away from the desk for a bit – just by taking a stroll around your own city you are guaranteed to be bombarded by inspiration from different architectural eras. Turn your gaze up from the shopfronts to the building facades above and inspiration is sure to strike.
Product Packaging
Packaging design has crossed over into the art world on a number of occasions. Andy Warhol was famously a fan, and his Campbell’s Soup cans have been displayed in countless exhibitions since he developed them in the 1960s. Commercialism and design combined in Warhol’s pop-art world, but in the 21st-century web designs and product packaging are far enough removed that you can often find inspiration on your shelves without feeling like you’re stretching to stealing ideas.
Maybe the ramen packet you’re whipping up for lunch contains the perfect motif for your website header, or take a stroll down the cereal aisle at the local market to discover an array of designs aimed at children and adults. Marketing budgets have been plowed into these designs, so there’s usually something to learn from them.
Take A Trip
Sometimes a lack of inspiration can be caused by spending too long in one environment, and all you need to do to kick off the inspirational gland is to take a trip. Travel is one of the most reliable methods of discovering inspiration when you least expect it, often by virtue of taking the mind off the project and letting it wander as you sate your wanderlust.
Try visiting somewhere you’ve never been before to get the most out of your trip. And remember, it’s about the journey, not the destination. Connie Garcia, blogger at Writinity and Researchpapersuk recommends “that if you can avoid flying, taking a bus or a train ride affords valuable time to think as a new landscape flashes past just outside the window. Keep your eyes peeled, as often these fleeting glimpses of unknown environments can be a surprising source of inspiration.”
The Evening Meal
When we think about food, we’re usually prioritizing one sense over the others and that’s taste. But creativity is all about connecting the senses, so it makes sense to seek inspiration in food if you’re stuck on a project. Going out to your favorite restaurant, or better yet the hot new place on the block, you’re likely to be entering into a sensual smorgasbord where smell, taste and the look of the place, from the cutlery to the wallpaper, are served up as a source of inspiration.
Better yet, indulge in cooking a meal mindfully – think about the ingredients you have and pay attention as they combine in color and texture. Try cooking with foods such as chili or beetroot that have vibrant colors as well as flavors. Cooking can be a satisfying distraction from the stress of a tough project, and provide the breakthrough in design you’re looking for.
Take A Break
One thing you’ll notice is that all these suggestions involve time away from the screen. To rediscover your creative passion, take a break, explore the world, and trust that inspiration is just around the corner.
Ashley Halsey is a professional writer at Assignment Help and Gumessays.com. She has been writing for over two decades and has encountered a fair amount of writer’s block. For inspiration, she usually heads to the hills to hike and explore nature.
