As I went to bed last night I saw this happening, my mind was piercing itself with the beginnings of ideas, the beginnings of thoughts. It was setting up tunnels for ideas to grow. As I tried to nod off I was giving my head a work-out. I tried to stop it, but I didn't sleep til my mind was full of holes.

As I awoke, I realised what had happened. All those spaces created 7 hours before were now blooming with solutions. Ideas were resolved. I could see the colours spilling.

It honestly came to me as such a strong visual, I had to share it with you.

Sometimes the pictures should just speak for themselves, and are open to your interpretation, but I felt like telling you a little more... xo

[current mood] Moving to Maleny & Jose Gonzalez

That is the question! Designers!

I sometimes pride myself on being a designer that doesn't look at designers. Like, ever.
I look at art and nature. And deep within.
I like to think my creativity is found through myself - when I am most 'connected' with the world and..... Yes, there is that word I use a bit much these days maybe, GOD.

I think God is within us as we are just a reflection of God.... so in creativity, whether you go in or out, you go God, baby.
uh huh?

Anyway.... point is... what?
Yes, I give God full credit for my creativity it seems. Hmm.. that's slack.

But when I'm not all me me me (and god, who is me anyway), sometimes I pick up a magazine or occassionally click through a designer's website and well, i quietly freak out. "I'm shit I'm shit I'm shit!! arhghghg. I should quit, what am I doing, I suck suck suck!"

And then I forget again. la dee daa...

But today, dagnabit, I'm facing my shitness. I have looked hard at some illustrations by America's finest. And I'm going to just practice their styles. I could feel bad about 'copying' but come to think of it, everyone is seriously copying everyone else. Like who is truly original. C'mon.
AND if you copy technique and some style ideas over n over, eventually your own unique style and ideas should emerge from that.
The trick, I believe, is to be aware of what you're doing.
Plenty of people store other people's ideas in their subconscious and think they are being original when they produce them. Yes that apparently awe inspiring concept they pulled 'out of no where' is simply one they have forgotten that they saw last year!

I won't do that. No I won't...
Or will I?
Guess I won't know. and you probably won't either...

I was reading this book the other night 'Creative Jolt Inspiration'. Fairly crap, don't buy it. But it had a para about where creativity comes from. In this particular person's mind, it comes from the input of stacks of visual information until your mind literally sparks up - catches alight and there is the idea. bang! or pop! or ouch!
When, hmmm, there I was thinking that this was a cheaty pants way. Maybe they are right. Maybe I need more input. But they did say that the visual input should be minimal on other designers of the same area stuff, instead input things like nature, art, conversations, readings...

So, I think a bit of designer input is overdue. I got the rest going on alright.
And to be honest with myself, I need to face up to my shitness sometimes and turn that jealousy into hard work.

go me.

Here are some posters I'm (STILL) working on that utilise a little style stealing. just a little....

[current mood] Sleepy Time Tea & Total Eclipse of The Heart - The Literal Version!