ST Art Director Jeff Russ Provides an Inspiration Roadmap

Inspiration is an elusive concept. Creative types never know when inspiration will arrive, or even what it will look like when it does. But it always does arrive, even if, often, at the last possible minute.
Don’t be content with that. In today’s digital age, visual people can do many things to increase their inspiration and pump up their creative process.
Take Facebook, for example. Your news feed isn’t merely a constant, free-form parade of selfies and food porn. Well, maybe it is, but it doesn’t have to be. The news feed is an aggregator; it collects things you like and then feeds them to you. Think of it as a personal concierge, though, and a world of ideas and inspiration get pushed to your feed, 24/7/365.
For example, “like” ST on Facebook (please) and get sign-related content not available anywhere else. “Like” the American Sign Museum (above) and get vintage sign photos and news pushed to you multiple times daily.
Anything and everything that excites you, or draws you to it, can become inspiration for your next design. Your news feed will soon fill with graphic work hand-picked by you. Free.
The best way to improve your design sensibility is to constantly expose yourself to new ideas.
And, remember to pay it forward! Set up your own “work” Facebook account, and post your designs to it. Let your work inspire others.
But Facebook is only one, very easy, example. Sign up for digital newsletters of interesting designers and studios. Have information pushed to your inbox about everything that interests you. Often you can just scan the content to see what catches your eye. It takes almost no effort, and it can profoundly affect your work.
Take the time to explore the ideas in your head. Doodle. Read design magazines; surf the web
in a targeted, focused way. Be curious, not passive.
Before the internet made this all possible, I’d go to the library, the newsstand, bookstore or poster shop. Often on evenings and weekends. This took a lot more time, but was just as effective.
Also, create an atmosphere in which you can do your best work. Fill your walls with art. Listen to music that will inspire, not distract, you. Surround yourself with things that make you think, or that you just find visually appealing.
Your work environment should be an extension of your creativity. And you should be your own curator.
 

Sign Oddity
The Jan. 10 passing of artist David Bowie has had me reflecting on the value of pushing boundaries. Whether or not you are involved in the creative or visual arts, Bowie’s career underscores the individual stamp each of us puts on the things we create. Bowie’s art reminds us to stay true to our vision and our craft.
The good is the enemy of the great. With that in mind, here are some tips to keep your work artistically valid (and your integrity intact):
• Try new things
• Learn from your mistakes
• Believe in your vision
• Be adventurous
• Find your creative process
• Follow your passion
• Never quit learning