Everyday I come up with a new idea for a t shirt but everyonce inawhile I get writers block or creativity block. What do you guys/girls use or do to keep the creativity juicies flowing?
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I've found that taking a brisk walk is often helpful. Another thing is to just "play" in a sketch book (or writing journal if you're more text oriented). For example, take an old 80's term: Gag me with a spoon. Now, what would a spoon gaging look like? What would make a spoon gag? (. . . baked beans and sauerkraut?)What else could someone be gagged by . . . get ridiculous, a pitchfork, salad tongs, whatever. Make sketches of your answers. Sometimes you can get something you can use directly, and other times playing will dislodge other ideas. Finally, do something that takes very little thought like playing with a yo-yo, a Wheel-O (the best toy ever) or shooting baskets.
just life in general
i use events and circumstances and random thoughts as inspiration
music is also a major influence as i've constantly got it in my ear
For example, take an old 80's term: Gag me with a spoon. Now, what would a spoon gaging look like?
I'm sorry, I'm just a little confused. The saying is suggesting you gag someone with a spoon.
So why would you picture a spoon gagging??? At the very least you could picture someone gagging on something, with a spoon nearby...but, I dunno, you just lost me in the concept.
And for the thread: I agree with the notebook/sketch book. Very helpful in looking back and seeing some ideas need work.
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I'm sorry, I'm just a little confused. The saying is suggesting you gag someone with a spoon.
So why would you picture a spoon gagging??? At the very least you could picture someone gagging on something, with a spoon nearby...but, I dunno, you just lost me in the concept.
I'm sorry for the confusion, sometimes things make more sense in my head than they do in writing.
All I meant was you start with the nucleus of an idea, and try to come up with as many different variations from that idea as you can. For example: if your nucleus is diamonds, you might come up with ideas like; Diamonds are a girl's best friend, baseball diamond, the Queen of Diamonds, diamondbacks, etc. It's just a way of sparking ideas, some will inspire designs and some won't.
I'm sorry, I'm just a little confused. The saying is suggesting you gag someone with a spoon.
So why would you picture a spoon gagging??? At the very least you could picture someone gagging on something, with a spoon nearby...but, I dunno, you just lost me in the concept.
I'm sorry for the confusion, sometimes things make more sense in my head than they do in writing.
All I meant was you start with the nucleus of an idea, and try to come up with as many different variations from that idea as you can. For example: if your nucleus is diamonds, you might come up with ideas like; Diamonds are a girl's best friend, baseball diamond, the Queen of Diamonds, diamondbacks, etc. It's just a way of sparking ideas, some will inspire designs and some won't.
I know...I was just messing with you a bit. I'm glad you didn't get offended. I was a bit worried you might not see that I was joking a bit with you.
But I do agree with your suggestion, it's how I work too.
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Last edited by Solmu; August 2nd, 2007 at 02:15 AM.
Reason: fixed quoting
I just work on ideas as they come. I don't "push" for anything to happen, as that tends to be more of a hinderance for me. I also notice that my most creative times are when I am working my regular "9-5" job. Boring repetitive work does that for me. In fact I think I read somewhere that if you have creative block, do some math or something like that.
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I mostly try and wait for ideas to come to me (write them down as they occur, go to the list if I need something to work on), but if I'm trying to force things then I come up with something I like that I haven't done anything with (e.g.: favourite movies, one of my hobbies, a favourite place, etc.) and sketch.
I get inspired by many things, including nature, man made sculptures, other people expressions and sayings.
I get a lot of inspiration by ancient civilizations, for example The Nazca people and the Nazca lines, Stonehenge, Giza Pyramids, Easter Island's Moais, and so on.
I also like to listen to people conversations and sometimes I just laugh as I convert conversations to graphics and it is fun and can be translated to t shirt designs. We latinos have so many sayings that make little or no sence at all, but we are used to them and can become nice grahics.
I try not to force ideas, they come up naturally. They can come up anytime, while working, eating, @ the beach, anywhere.
I also look for inspiration in things from the past.
What do you use for inspiration? 
Re: What do you use for inspiration? 
At the very least you could picture someone gagging on something, with a spoon nearby...but, I dunno, you just lost me in the concept. 
