Inspiration is one of the hardest parts of being an artist. It can happen so randomly and at any time; it's why we are encouraged to carry notebooks with us, or even recording devices. That cameras are part of our phones is a major boon to artists as it means that a means of recording something we see randomly so that we can explore it later. We no longer have to do with brief sketches as we can not snap a picture of something interesting, but download it quickly as well.
Sometimes a random bit of thought becomes something more solid, threatening our very sanity until we do something about it. Just watching a show because an opportunity for inspiration as we see something cool and want to give our own spin to it, or see a train wreck of a show and wonder how we could do it better, or wonder how a particular director would do a particular show. I feel sorry for painters watching the FYI Network who see some great stuff on something like Red Hot Design, where Shasta has some incredible ideas. Yeah, I think it would be funny to see Tarentino do something like a CW high-schooler drama.
We even get inspiration from our pets. I would love to expose an illustrator to Wolf Mountain, an MMORPG where you play a wolf, and you can see what your wolf smells. Are cats really all jerks or are they misunderstood? Do they care? Even if sentience is not assumed, a comic about the adventures of a hamster could be seriously fun to do. And that's excluding some of the other animals out there; I'm still waiting for a graphic novel of "Jonathan Livinston Seagull". Octopi are supposed to be one of the smartest creatures on Earth, rivalling dolphins; could you imagine what that perspective must be like, oozing from place to place, watching for prey, and avoiding sharks? There has to be some stories there.
All I'm saying is that follow your muse when she appears and stay as close to her as you can. When she appears know she is going to be fleeting despite your best entreaties, and will disappear quicker than she appeared. Grab a picture, take a note, discuss it with friends: When you see her take what she gives you as quickly as possible and have fun with it or you will regret it, and life is too short for regrets.
Sometimes a random bit of thought becomes something more solid, threatening our very sanity until we do something about it. Just watching a show because an opportunity for inspiration as we see something cool and want to give our own spin to it, or see a train wreck of a show and wonder how we could do it better, or wonder how a particular director would do a particular show. I feel sorry for painters watching the FYI Network who see some great stuff on something like Red Hot Design, where Shasta has some incredible ideas. Yeah, I think it would be funny to see Tarentino do something like a CW high-schooler drama.
We even get inspiration from our pets. I would love to expose an illustrator to Wolf Mountain, an MMORPG where you play a wolf, and you can see what your wolf smells. Are cats really all jerks or are they misunderstood? Do they care? Even if sentience is not assumed, a comic about the adventures of a hamster could be seriously fun to do. And that's excluding some of the other animals out there; I'm still waiting for a graphic novel of "Jonathan Livinston Seagull". Octopi are supposed to be one of the smartest creatures on Earth, rivalling dolphins; could you imagine what that perspective must be like, oozing from place to place, watching for prey, and avoiding sharks? There has to be some stories there.
All I'm saying is that follow your muse when she appears and stay as close to her as you can. When she appears know she is going to be fleeting despite your best entreaties, and will disappear quicker than she appeared. Grab a picture, take a note, discuss it with friends: When you see her take what she gives you as quickly as possible and have fun with it or you will regret it, and life is too short for regrets.
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