business.creativity.life.

Most of us, when we watch movies, pay little attention to the underlying message or psychology that a movie preview holds. We’re usually dumb-founded by the spectacular graphics or are in hysterics from the comedic relief that the upcoming film has to offer. But lately I saw a preview that sparked my interest on a deeper level. The movie is titled ‘Gamer‘ (in theaters September 4, 2009) from the trailer, the movie explores a possible future where the real and gaming worlds intertwine. Where humans play a video game that controls characters who themselves are real people. In the video game industry there is constant effort to break barriers between the virtual and real worlds and this movie, makes its own unique effort to break the barrier or at least examine a ‘what if’ scenario if it was. It will be interesting to see how the movie unfolds, hopefully it doesn’t disappoint! (Fingers crossed, the visual effects will compensate if the story line doesn’t deliver)

Artists, regardless of their medium, want to create an original. Any similarities to existing works are generally seen as taboo since the ‘edge’ one artist has over another lies in their uniqueness. So are artistic people bottomless pits of creativity? In many ways they are, but maintaining a ‘bottomless’ façade requires one very important factor: inspiration.  

When stuck in a rut, it takes a special ‘something’ to jolt and push you on your way. Inspiration can come from anywhere and excite any of the senses. What is important is how you perceive the inspiration. Perception and interpretation are the reasons for why a ray of light can trigger a new song by one person and a painting by another. As long as the element at hand connects with the observing person, it can become a driving force. Only when we examine how the person connects with the element can we better understand why two people observing the same thing can be inspired in completely different ways.

To be inspired is a very individualistic situation to be in. No one can tell you whether or not something inspires you. Only you can determine whether it ‘speaks’ to you, and whether it alone can motivate you creatively. Personally I find it difficult to be ‘creative on command’, so I try to keep myself continually inspired. I keep article clippings, magazines, brochures and URLs of things that inspire or trigger my creativity. Sometimes it takes a combination of finds to push me in the right direction, but having a constantly updated ‘inspiration repository’ is a great help in a time of need.