Art How do you get your "inspiration"?

[wrist cutter]

I think it's pretty obvious from my recent run of banners that I haven't had any real inspiration when making them. I always have subject matter, I just rarely have any ideas on how to make a banner for it.

So is there anything you do? Is there something you can do that will cause a rough image for a banner to pop in your head?

[Semjaza]

Once I dreamt about something I forget... But in the dream I went to my website. For some reason when I woke up, I remembered how it looked really clearly, so I set out to make it. Of course I couldn't, and I wound up with Slow Nerve Action's current layout (which I don't even like anymore... I'm going to do it more like the splash now heh).

Otherwise... It's just a variety of things. Sometimes I see a site and I like the idea, so I do my own take on it. Sometimes I'm just bored and I force myself to something, not that it ever results in anything good.

Most of my banners are of random bands... I just get an idea to make one when they pop up on Winamp every so often.

And then there are things I do just for a job... Such as those theOtaku.com wallpapers. I don't give a crap about any of those anime shows I've done them for (infact, I think most anime outright sucks... despite me writing for the anime review section there too lol). Those are hit and miss I guess.

So really, it's not anything particular. I guess inspiration can come from anything. When I'm listening to a song, sometimes I don't even think about what I'm doing and just see what results. They often turn out bettert than I expected, and it's a much better experience than simply forcing myself to do a particular piece. Maybe that would be a good thing to try?