“The reality is that it’s easier to be inspired than it is to create an original idea and we are hardwired to take the path of least resistance. It’s easier to jump onto a design inspiration gallery site than it is to sit down with a blank sheet of paper and a pencil. It’s easier to follow a pattern than it is to test-drive new options. It’s easier to copy a style or idea that works than try something that might miss the mark or outright fail. Above all, it’s cheaper mentally for us to rally around what’s already been done and emulate it…”
The above excerpt is from a brilliant post by Owen over at Viget.com. Well worth the read. Do it.
Personally, I couldn’t agree more. How much time is the right amount to stroll thru galleries, troll creative sites, and watch online videos?
And what about you?
Are you too busy getting inspired by the work of others to create your own?
Do you read about the failures of others, so you don’t have to try?
Is the convenience of information actually reducing your willingness to struggle to make something worthwhile?
For me, inspiration found in others’ art is nothing more than a professional standard toward which I aspire. This differs radically from being a couch potato photographer. Practically, it amounts to critical review of my own work with respect to work produced by top-tier professionals. This means also that I exercise an increasingly high degree of criticism toward said persons’ work, because I want to understand why they’ve chosen to compose and light a scene a certain way. The strain of creative problem-solving is present at every waypoint, and, more often than not, I fall short of the lofty standards I’ve set for myself; still, I fail better each time. 🙂
We all need goals in order to up our game. Role models help set the benchmark for excellence if the attainment of excellence is among one’s goals. I believe that it’s OK to seek inspiration so long as one does not attempt to use it as a substitute for the creative process.
Yep, this is why so many Hollywood movies are junk these days, not enough originality. Just do a sequel or get “inspiration” from a comic book, throw $200 million at it, and rake in the dough.
For photography, I rarely go looking for inspiration really because I do not have the people or resources for elaborate staged shots etc, but I do find this to be a problem in graphic design. The design circles are over saturated with the same icons, grid layouts, swirly flourishes and other elements that make them all look the same – a major mistake by designers. Too often they design from their own unoriginal point of view to make a portfolio of sites that all look like art pieces rather than delivering the client’s needs and creating a look unique to the client. In my own work, it becomes too easy to waste hours on inspiration galleries and easier still to copy someone…to the point where it becomes totally overwhelming and the result? Artist block. so yes, I believe it kills creativity and the only way to get it back is to take a break away from the pc/camera and get back in touch with ones own vision(or if working for a client, a vicarious one)
Maybe it’s(copying) not as bad as everyone wants you to believe. Here, check out this book: http://www.amazon.com/Copycats-Smart-Companies-Imitation-Strategic/dp/1422126730/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1282105560&sr=8-5