If you look up quotes about inspiration, you’ll find a wide variety of perspectives. Some quotes – inevitably from more artistic types like musicians, actors, and authors – discuss specific sources of inspiration and the importance of feeling inspired by what you do and create. As bestselling author Richelle Mead said, “There are little gems all around us that can hold glimmers of inspiration.”
Quotes on the other end of the spectrum also abound. As businessman and engineer Nolan Bushnell succinctly put it, “The ultimate inspiration is the deadline.”
Whatever role inspiration plays in your daily life, and whichever approach you tend to agree with more, one consensus is ultimately the same: inspiration is hard to attain. Author Jack London is quoted saying, “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” And while we’re not lost in the Alaskan wilderness of White Fang where this exact kind of stronghanded tactic is needed, it’s true that it takes both work and action to make things happen.
Perhaps the most famous quote about inspiration is attributed to inventor Thomas Edison: “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” Trial and error, research and learning, and simply taking the first step on a project is sometimes what it takes to make that inspiring moment click. At H3 Marketing, we believe in finding inspiration everywhere – whether it’s a great ad campaign or the adrenaline rush of an approaching deadline. Here’s where members of our team find their inspiration to help make our clients’ campaigns resonate!
My best ideas and inspirations are usually sparked at the most unusual (and sometimes inconvenient) times! Being a former swimmer, I do my best creative thinking when on or near any source of water. Relaxing times like riding 4-wheelers with my family, enjoying s’mores over the fire pit, sitting on the porch with a glass of wine, or relaxing drives with the hubby are great for quietly coming up with ideas. Reading or re-reading an impactful leadership or motivational book or newsletter – Dare to Lead by Brené Brown and The Marketing Brew are favorites, respectively – and brainstorming with the team or other business leaders are also favorite ways to amp up and get inspired.
I often use Cosmos.so for inspo. In my opinion, it’s an elevated Pinterest for creatives across the globe. I love following trends on Instagram reels, even if those ideas don’t fall into my everyday work. But a specific Instagram page I enjoy for design news would be The Brand Inquirer. And of course, I also pull a lot of ideas from collaborating in a group setting. I find that the best ideas are generated from something that someone else said. Someone could say a silly idea that could grow legs and turn into something really big and successful.
I find inspo in our brainstorm meetings surrounded by people who are throwing out ideas. Throwing spaghetti at a wall!
Most of my inspo comes from being a chronically online, cultured diva.
I sometimes get inspired when I see something online and want to do that, or if I have an idea that corresponds with what I saw. Or it’s through research.
Reading always helps inspire ideas, whether it’s a great fiction story or non-fiction that teaches me something new. Seeing great writers work through the story they want to tell helps me stay sharp with techniques and structure. I’m always so impressed by authors who can plan out whole multi-book universes before they even begin writing, or those historians who can take centuries of sources and turn them into compelling tales.
I find inspiration in nature because it reminds me to slow down, look closer, and appreciate the beauty in the details. There’s something about being surrounded by the natural world that makes creativity feel like a part of everything. I also find inspiration from my life. Everything that affects us and everyone we meet can find a way into our art and creative workflow whether we like it or not. We carry a small piece of everyone we interact with like a mosaic. Lastly, I listen to music while making everything! I use music as a tool to better align myself with the vibe I’m going for.
For me, inspiration can come from some pretty random places! I’ll find myself getting ideas while walking around an art store, looking at colors, textures, and all the different creative possibilities. And, oddly enough, I can also get some of my best ideas while eating dessert! There’s just something about stepping away, enjoying something completely unrelated to work, and letting my mind wander that can spark a new idea.
I am definitely one of those people who notices things other people might overlook. I pay attention to restaurants, hotels, retail displays, floral arrangements, packaging, even how a space makes me feel when I walk into it. I’m always collecting ideas in my head or taking pictures because I know I will want to remember it later; I am a very visual person.
I get inspiration from traveling, TV and movies, sites like Pinterest and Instagram where I share videos with other designers and friends, local advertising, nature (especially when it comes to color combos), and other artists. I also enjoy Comic Cons for props, photoshoots, crafting, sewing, & innovation!
I find it very helpful to make a list of all the ideas I have at the start of a project. Then, I keep adding to it as new ideas pop up on their own or I see things that give me inspiration, like when I look at similar projects from others and note what I like from those examples. This definitely gives me a clearer direction and something to fall back on as I continue to work through a project.
Whatever your business is and wherever you find inspiration for it, you’re in good company! Next time you’re in nature, hear a powerful song, or laugh at a meme online, think about how it can change your outlook. And when you need a new pair of eyes and fresh brainpower dedicated to marketing your company, get inspired with our team here at H3 Marketing in Anderson, SC.
