Inspiration comes in many forms over the course of time, pushing and pulling us as creatives to display or evoke a thought or a response.
Humans, regardless of how or why we were made, are designed to feel, think and act. We are equipped with a wide set of emotions, a meticulously mysterious brain, and the ability to create and build what we see in our minds.
Literature shapes us from the beginning – from Goodnight Moon, to Green Eggs and Ham, to Narnia and Moby Dick.
Stories of love and romance cause us to hope we will be loved, heroic tales of courage and honor sharpen our determination to stand for what is right, while comedy and silliness offer a respite from the grind of life and refresh a weary soul.
Tales of mystery intrigue our curiosity for the unknown, and great tragedies force us to face our vulnerability and limited life.
Each one is connected, and causes us to see and approach our world differently.
Powerful words.
packing for a family vacation
the smell of Grandma’s house
a passionate art teacher
lost loves
the friend who sees the best in you
the delicate children we have been given the task to nurture and direct
slide show of regrets and mistakes
leaning back into the void as we trust our ropes
the first step taken in another direction
an unexpected letter
traditions old and new, governing our seasons with a liturgical comfort
the sound of a roller coaster
a gun to your head
a summer picnic
the sound of crunching snow
being alone when the power goes out
your first kiss
powerful words.
Pictures have always told stories either scratched or painted on a cave wall or projected in a football stadium.
A wedding album or an old fashioned family slide show can take us back to a different time.
Events in history are captured and chronicled with images, “moving” pictures have gone from purely entertainment to shaping our very culture and existence.
The ease of transmitting or sending images now has opened up the world, and we are able to see faces and lives that, not too long ago, we could have only read about. There is a connectedness to people and their lives like never before.
Designers use imagery, words, textures, formed and layered, each affecting the other in various ways from altering hue to transparency, from subtle to demanding, visible to the unseen to communicate a message. Doesn’t matter the client, our job as designers is to be inspired to communicate a message and to evoke a feeling and a reaction – usually to purchase something.
This is a seat of prominence, we have the power and precise ability, really, to influence people’s choices and ultimately, their lives.
Seems like something that can be exploited by anyone trying to communicate a message, retail or religion, marketer or pastor.
Sure, we can inspire people to buy things or to register for some event… that’s the reality of business, but maybe they can be inspired to see the beauty around them and to be a better human along the way.
Or
maybe they will just go out and buy something to make them smell better.