Stuck for Inspiration? How do you Refill your Creative Well?

Stuck for Inspiration? How do you Refill your Creative Well?

                                                  http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetonveg/4450198083/

There are days where I perk along, filled with ideas and ways to make them happen. And then there are those days where all that creative energy seems dried up, gone, shut down - maybe used up for the moment. This can create a sense of panic or total enervation for me. What to do?

Since I quite literally feel emptied of creative juice at that point, I like the idea of reversing that feeling by "filling my creative well." To do this, I set aside some time to allow an infusion of beauty and inspiration. Yesterday, this came to me in the form of a TV special about George Lucas' amazing Industrial Light & Magic company, formed initially to create the special effects for the first Star Wars movie.

These were my "take aways" from watching:

• A community of like-minded people can foster inspiration. Since I mostly work alone, this means seeking out (or creating) groups where I can share ideas, values, and excitement about designing inviting interiors for my clients.
  
  
• "Create the impossible."  When the creative staff at ILM worked with directors, they listened to the sometimes "impossible" ideas directors saw in their mind's eyes, and then collaborated to make them happen. By making room in their minds for the possibility of doing the impossible, they found solutions to previously insurmountable problems. A real inspiration for me to re-think what I find "impossible."
  
  
• Adapt to Change and Grow. As more became possible with computer-generated graphics, the people who had spent their careers perfecting physical model-making needed to face their fears that they'd be out of a job. By adapting to the new technology, they were able to bring their talents along to a new "play space" and grow into new roles. Got me thinking about how to plan on continual growth so I bring the best possible experience and training to each client's project.
  
  
• Embrace what the fear is telling you. A big one for me. So, I'm facing my fear, asking what it's about, finding ways to overcome it, and then - most importantly - completing the steps I've laid out, even if it's just one small step at a time.
  

Not bad inspiration for an hour of TV watching!  So how do you refill your creative well?


Stuck for Inspiration? How do you Refill your Creative Well?