My favorite sources for design inspiration:

Working in the creative field, it’s very easy to get burnt out and feel your creativity diminish. It’s important to keep practicing simple art skills keeping the theories of art and design fresh in your mind. Often times if I’m feeling stuck while I’m working I will look for anything that catches my eye on Pinterest, videos on youtube, and even sometimes on Instagram.

While some people think you shouldn’t look towards the internet for inspiration in order to “keep their ideas pure”. Don’t worry though, many people including myself, use the internet as a source of inspiration. Pew research actually found that “52% of all online artists and 59% of Paid Online Artists say they get ideas and inspiration for their work from searching online.” (Source) Their studies found that many artists and musicians use the internet as a tool to improve how they make, market, and sell their works.

Pinterest

My Pinterest boards are full of inspiration for both my creative work and personal life. My board for all things creative appropriately titled “Artsy Fartsy” has a total of 1744 pins and it grows every time I log in to the app. Within the board, I have 16 different sub-sections for different types of art. As I'm writing this, just looking within my own pins will pull me into a whirlwind of ideas for my own works.

Follow me on Pinterest & Instagram !

Links !!!

• Studio vlogs

  • Furrylittlepeach 

  • ElliotUlm

  • KelLauren

• How-to videos/Tutorials

  • The Futur Academy

  • Abi Connick

  • Satori Graphics

    • AMATEUR VS PRO

 Youtube

While I’m doing design work I often like to watch other artists on YouTube listen to podcasts or watch my favorite Studio Ghibli movies! Something that helps me be more productive is watching studio vlogs while I work, some of my favorite creators are Furrylittlepeach, ElliotUlm, and KelLauren. I also like How-to and tutorial videos when looking for inspiration and new techniques that can be used in my own work. Another interesting content idea I've seen is amateur vs. pro design comparisons done by creator Satori Graphics.

Videos !!

<3

Videos !! <3

Podcasts

Although I'm not an avid listener of podcasts, if I'm in the right mood I have a couple of go-to’s. My favorite recently has been Creative Pep Talk. This podcast has different artists featured in each episode and it takes about various ideas within the art industry, including how to deal with burnout, finding creativity, and more! “The Creative Pep Talk Podcast helps you build a thriving creative practice.” it is founded and hosted by Illustrator and Public Speaker Andy J. Pizza Andy has illustrated for the likes of The New York Times, The Washington Post, Google, Amazon, Nickelodeon, YouTube, and Warby Parker. Their home page welcomes you by saying “It’s Easy to Get Lost on The Creative Journey… We Help You Get Back on the Path To Reaching Your Creative Potential”

Movies ——————————

Something else I like having on in the background while I’m working is Studio Ghibli movies. These movies have beautiful aesthetics and storytelling, and since I've seen most of these movies multiple times they’ve come to be a source of comfort. Some of my favorites are Howls Moving Castle, Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and The Cat Returns. Sometimes I’ll even put on a video compilation of calming visuals from Studio Ghibli posted by HBO Max’s YouTube channel. This just has ambient sound from the scenes but is tied well together.

Thanks for reading

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Thanks for reading -

Next time you’re feeling uninspired, don’t feel ashamed of taking a second to look at the world around you to get inspiration, the internet, taking a walk outside, or even doing some sketches can get your creativity flowing. If you’re really feeling up to it you can even read my other blog posts, check out 10 Packaging design trends for 2022!