Inspiration comes from everywhere, at least for me. I can never pinpoint where it will come from, but when I have that “aha” moment and everything clicks, it’s perfect. I do take a lot of inspiration from books, as I’m sure you noticed while looking over my Portfolio. I like to layer my works with meaning and depth, and the different worlds a book transports you to gives this to me in a medium separate from the visual medium in which I work. I have channeled that inspiration into my book blog, as well as my work. Yet, I find that Goodreads is the site that I love the most. Not only does it have millions, probably billions, of books, but through this I am able to connect to other book lovers and get more reading recommendations to fuel me and my imagination.
Though, I have to clearly state, I am not a book snob who shuns the visual mediums of film and television. I have never understood people who say that you never learn anything from television. Television is full of stories and images that help us dream and create. Also, you never know when something you are watching will solve a design problem. This past summer I was stuck on my Grail Quest logo. It was stagnating and just not coalescing into a finished design that I felt comfortable and happy with. Enter Warehouse 13. For those who don’t know, this is a campy fun kind of X-Files procedural spoof with a Steampunk veneer about finding magical artifacts; pure Sci Fi fun on the stupidly renamed SyFy channel. There was a scene with one of the main characters playing with the astrolabe of Magellan, yes, THE Magellan, anyway, that scene made something click and my logo almost finished itself.
Finally, I have to say that the design community is paramount. Whether following their trends on Pinterest or talking with my fellow designers over a drink, they are my inspiration. My friends and fellow designers are the most important thing to me. They keep me going. Just having a group of people, a community, that will get your frustrations with the CS suites. People who will get your love of pathfinder; they are priceless. Such wonderful organizations as Design Madison and AIGA help me to keep in touch with them, which I am sure will be even more of a link for me once I am no longer seeing them at school on a daily basis.
Though, I have to clearly state, I am not a book snob who shuns the visual mediums of film and television. I have never understood people who say that you never learn anything from television. Television is full of stories and images that help us dream and create. Also, you never know when something you are watching will solve a design problem. This past summer I was stuck on my Grail Quest logo. It was stagnating and just not coalescing into a finished design that I felt comfortable and happy with. Enter Warehouse 13. For those who don’t know, this is a campy fun kind of X-Files procedural spoof with a Steampunk veneer about finding magical artifacts; pure Sci Fi fun on the stupidly renamed SyFy channel. There was a scene with one of the main characters playing with the astrolabe of Magellan, yes, THE Magellan, anyway, that scene made something click and my logo almost finished itself.
Finally, I have to say that the design community is paramount. Whether following their trends on Pinterest or talking with my fellow designers over a drink, they are my inspiration. My friends and fellow designers are the most important thing to me. They keep me going. Just having a group of people, a community, that will get your frustrations with the CS suites. People who will get your love of pathfinder; they are priceless. Such wonderful organizations as Design Madison and AIGA help me to keep in touch with them, which I am sure will be even more of a link for me once I am no longer seeing them at school on a daily basis.
