Overlooked sources of creative inspiration

​If you’re a creative professional, you’ve constantly got to come up with all-new stuff. That’s why it’s called “creating.” But a little inspiration can go a long way: something which gets you looking, or thinking, about that challenge a little differently. 
 
There are lots of sources of inspiration—beyond your computer screen—that you can use and exploit. Indeed, we have two good posts already written about them: one about drawing from nature (and profiting from it) and another simply entitled, “Creative Inspiration is for the Birds.”
 
This topic—inspiration—is one that never gets old. You’ll encounter stories of its importance going back millennia; think of the phrase “creative muse” (origin of the word “museum”), and you’re invoking ancient Greece. 
 
Where we’re going with this is, this is a topic you need to perennially revisit. You’re always going to need, going to benefit from, creative inspiration. And thus it soon devolves into a supply-and-demand dilemma: Where do you go next, when that previous wellspring has run dry? Where do you dig next, when that last vein has been tapped out? 
 
Sure, there are lots of obvious choices, but in this article, we’re going to explore some of the un-obvious ones.
 
Child’s play
 
You’ll often hear people talk about channeling their “inner child.” But what if you channel your outer child? 
 
This is a lot more concrete than it sounds. “Inner child” is like an exercise in self-hypnosis: you want to transport yourself, mentally, back to another phase in your life and try and re-see the world through those younger, more innocent eyes. And there’s nothing wrong with that approach. It’s admirable. It’s also hard. (We, by the way, wrote a great—and popular—blog on this topic. It’s called “On Self-Hypnosis and Finding ‘The Voice’”. Check it out!) 
 
So that’s the tricky mental acrobatics involved in tapping into your inner child. Getting inspiration from your outer child is much easier. There are two ways to do this, with the second being far more pragmatic when you’re on deadline: 
 
1. Watch a real kid. If you have kids, you already have the tools. If you don’t, you can watch other kids at play: at a playground... on basic YouTube searches... whatever. As we’d intimated above, this approach can help, but it’s not time-efficient. You may have a friend tell you a funny thing their kid said yesterday, but it took all day to get that one quote. That’s fine if you’re a parent; it’s impractical if you’re a time-pressed creative pro. Sure, you can “probe,” i.e., ask a kid (whether a toddler or a tween) how they feel about a certain topic. That will accelerate the process. But be prepared to be patient, and do your best to embrace the inevitable tangents and/or tantrums. 
 
2. Look at kids’ things. Here’s the big conceit: Most adults completely isolate themselves from kids’ stuff. Meaning, it’s a trove of new inspiration. Better yet, you’ll find some really great stuff here! Toys. Board games. Stuffed animals. Dolls. The collection is endless. Consider board-books: If you’re unfamiliar with the term, they’re those small, thick, first-ever books for babies, printed on “pages” that are actually thick slabs of cardboard, hence the name. Sure, you can expect a page with a big letter “C” and a picture of a “Cat” on it, but the opportunities far exceed that. There are books out there, for example, which teach kids how to use snaps, Velcro, and zippers... by featuring those real items in the pages of the book itself. They’re tactile, fun, and educational—and boy are they ever inspirational, when you’re trying to come up with a new take on, say, a brochure, UX design, eBook, or interactive website. 
 
“But I don’t have kids!” you might say. (If so, that’s a mixed blessing! But we digress.) Not a problem. For all the toys, for example, you don’t need a cluttered playroom or even a visit to the store (although a visit to the store would be second-best). If you’re time- and travel-constrained, simply “shop” for toys on Amazon.
 
Art for art’s sake
 
You may be considered a “commercial artist,” but (as we’ve noted in another cool blog, “What’s the Difference Between ‘Creative Services’ and ‘Art’?”), you’re far more “commercial” than “artist.” To wit: You work for clients. They pay you. You’re on deadline. You need to help them make more money. It’s all quite mercenary, when you contrast it to the real starving-in-the-garret/art-for-art’s-sake artist. 
 
Visit a museum. Can’t go in person, whether due to distance, time, or lockdown? Visit online. Paintings and sculpture which were created with no commercial constraints whatsoever can help unlock your brain from threadbare consumer tropes. 
 
Pay special attention to modern art. Look at both representational and non-representational. Don’t shun abstract expressionism: you’ll find organic approaches that will jolt you out of your comfort zone. 
 
Don’t think that other creatives haven’t tried this approach; and don’t think they came away empty-handed, either. If you’re old enough, think of the repainted school bus from The Partridge Family TV show. The inspiration came not from the production studio, but from the museum. Just check out the works of Piet Mondrian.
 
Experiment
 
One other way to find creative inspiration is to—odd as this might sound--create in a different medium than the one you’re tasked with using.
 
If ever a suggestion were counterintuitive, this is it. But it’s a gem. Surely you’ve heard the stories—probably urban legend—that “starchitect” Frank Gehry would simply crumble paper to inspire designs such as The Walt Disney Concert Hall. Even if it’s not true, it’s valuable. Crumbled paper... iconic edifice. 
 
So play with paper. Origami. Paper airplanes. Clay. Paper clips. Packing peanuts. Bubble wrap. Anything lying around. 
 
Here’s a famous example which might inspire you. When the designers of the iconic Lexus SC400 sport coupe were trying to envision its fluid lines, they used—wait for it--balloons filled with plaster. Yup. Smooth, streamlined, fluid, organic. They then took photos of these things and stretched the photos. That fluid look made it all the way to the assembly line, and is why that car is the most unique and beautiful vehicle Lexus ever created.
 
Get help
 
We understand “time-constrained.” Sometimes, you just don’t have the time. If that’s the case, don’t despair. Offload. To a trusted resource. Like us. Contact us today and let us help you with that next creative assignment. 

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