I often get asked the question: How do you get inspired?
Or how do you find inspiration for your drawings?
I suppose to answer that, we first have to establish what we mean by inspiration.
The way I see it is that inspiration is something that helps you generate ideas.
Inspiration can come from everywhere and everything; from mundane to extravagant; from existing
to imaginary.
Inspiration is something that urges you to do something, to take action, and to create.
So then you start to ask: what is an idea?
I think we get stuck because of the pressure of trying to come up with an original idea,
but originality as they say is non-existent, and that there is no such thing as an original
idea.
Ideas come from fragments of our experiences, our interactions with people, the activities
that we engage in, and the knowledge that we consume.
And whether we know it or not, we take bits and pieces from existing ideas and combine
them together to create something new – that’s not necessarily original – but it’s new
because it’s us.
It’s putting our own twist, our own flavour, our interpretation and it becomes authentic
and personal because it’s you.
So there are different ways that I like to do to find inspiration.
And I suppose this is my own list.
Get rid of distractions.
Anything that’s stopping me from being productive, I set aside, and nowadays I actually have
to set a time for myself to draw or else I’d always find an excuse and say I’m busy.
So I find that I have to set the mood, to relax in order to clear my mind, and that
usually means playing some background music.
And I tend to play upbeat songs just because it boosts my energy, and I sing along and
I eventually enjoy it.
Be open and ready for inspiration.
Ideas come at the most random times so I tend to carry anything where I can write these
ideas down.
A notebook.
Sketchbook.
Your phone.
It also means to pay attention to things around you – to mundane things.
It also means to be curious, and to try and see things from a different perspective because
new knowledge or new discoveries can bring new ideas.
Look at art made my others.
Got to museums or art exhibitions.
Read books by artists or of artists because this can influence your style, your process
or the way you work, your techniques, and also maybe your artistic choices.
But of course, you have to keep in mind not to compare yourself to these artists because
then you can start to doubt yourself and that hinders your development.
Surround yourself with things you love.
It could be a material object, a place or a person.
It could be as simple as sticking images that you like on your wall.
Or it could be collaborating with people to let ideas flow.
It could a special place you like to visit once in a while.
Anything that makes you happy can inspire you.
Engage in creative activities.
It can be as simple as reading a book or watching a movie or going for a walk or singing.
You don’t have to be drawing all the time, but doing things that sparks your imagination
or makes you come to life; these are things that keeps creativity flowing, which helps
develop ideas.
Try new things.
Like I said, new knowledge brings new ideas.
That goes the same for new experiences.
It opens your eyes to all the things the world has to offer.
Experiment with new materials, a new style or a new technique.
But of course you also have to be open to failure and mistakes, and eventually seeing
these as a way for you to learn.
Don’t force it.
When an idea doesn’t come, perhaps it’s time for a break.
Get yourself away from the desk and from the sketchbook and do something else.
You could be physically or mentally exhausted, therefore dedicate that time to take care
of yourself because we function best in our best condition.
And lastly, do what you want to do.
You are the artist, the choice is yours.
You can try any of the things I’ve mentioned in this video, or you can try none at all.
Eventually, it comes down to each and every one of us because we’re all individuals
and at the end of the day, it’s about figuring out for yourself what distracts you, what
you love, what you’re obsessed, what method works for you.
All I can really say is it takes time to fully know all those things.
It takes time to know what works for you and what doesn’t, so we just have to be patient
and determined I suppose.
Which leads me to say that I know these are not the only ways to find inspiration.
So feel free to comment down below and share how you find inspiration so maybe we can all
help each other.
And that is it!
Thank you for watching and best of luck!