In this, the first installment of this here design-oriented blog, I will be discussing something that vexes and satisfies us all: inspiration. Where does it come from? Where does it go? Will it strike me today? Nobody knows. I’ve read many pieces on this topic in my career as a designer so far, and one mistake I will not repeat, is trying to tell YOU how to get inspired. Instead, I will relate to you what I do to get the creative juices flowing.

If I am to get any serious work done, it needs to be in a block of time at least 8 hours long or more. Distractions suck my brain dry. I require solitude. So I eliminate people from my apartment in Albany for as long as possible and get to work. Just me and the Mac. However, there is one key element I need to design anything worthwhile: music. I know this is true for many designers and artists, and it is certainly true for me. Without music – obnoxiously loud, beat-your-face-in, push-your-grandma-down-the-stairs Rock N Roll, I can’t work. Seriously, I need the stuff deafening.

I’ll go through the list, just to get it out of the way:

Red Hot Chili Pepper – My favorite band. Delicious. These are the guys I turn to when I’m feelin’ that groove and need to express those colors that float around in my head.

TOOL – Nothing better when you’re pissed off and need to force out another design, violently.

Radiohead – When I’m feeling weird and alienated, these are the dudes that remind me there are in fact, weirder people than me.

The list goes on, but those are the heavy hitters. Gotta put in a word for Art Decade (my bro’s band. Check em out, they’ll get you grooving too)

So to do anything productive, I need to be alone and driving the neighbors out with my loud music. That’s basically it. Leave some comments er something, let everyone know what it takes to get that work out of you.

PEACE
-dan

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