What is Inspiration?
The creative process begins with the flashing of a metaphorical lightbulb above the designer’s head. A moment of pure enlightenment in which the designer finally realizes what needs to be created, what the world is lacking. To encourage the process, designers seek inspiration from any and all imaginable sources. Nature is the most convenient, it’s all around us. We’ve seen fashions modeled after birds, even buildings inspired by cells. But as we have seen with McQueen’s work, inspiration can even be an abstract concept like global warming. Inspiration is limitless.
Inspiration can even come from the work of another designer. Although bordering plagiarism, this source of inspiration is important for designers to keep track of. Not only do they become aware of what has been done, they can be aware of the recent trends in their field of design. Moreover, the designer can take that inspiration and create something even more outstanding.
Sometimes the final product perfectly mirrors the inspiration. Sometimes it’s only a faint echo. However, the designer owes everything to his inspiration. Without it, the whole process of design can not even begin.
Get out there. Recognize beauty wherever you go. Spark your inspiration and create something beautiful.
