what do you do to get inspired?

[Weepy Gonzales]

What do you do? Knit doilies? Collect pipe cleaners? Build birdhouses? Get wasted? Tailgate old people?

Because I'm having a bit of a problem lately due to lack of inspiration.

Maybe it's because I don't participate in any of the activities listed above.

So? What do you do to get inspired?

[Weepy Gonzales]

Thank you. I have been watching Godzilla, a LOT of Godzilla, I just got the box set. So maybe I should incorporate some variety into my movie watching.
There are also gigantic boxes of old photos and letters in my toolroom. Good suggestions though, and I like your avatar.

I'm Not Lion said:

Read other zines. Read arty books. Uh, speak to people. Go through old things (photos, letters). Listen to my favorite music. Read blogs.

If I am TRULY uninspired, I watch movies. Movies cheer me up, so I watch them.

Might I suggest that you simply write about things you do that are mundane? I for one enjoy reading what others just "do" every day.

[kami]

look thru old books, magazines, find obscure music on the net... procrastinate a lot... watch movies, read other zines...
it all helps (maybe) :)

[Weepy Gonzales]

:) thank you. I've got procrastination nailed.

kami said:

look thru old books, magazines, find obscure music on the net... procrastinate a lot... watch movies, read other zines...
it all helps (maybe) :)

[Weepy Gonzales]

I'm Not Lion said:

Thanks! It's GaGa (the music I listen to for a bit of inspiration).

I've been watching a lot of cheesy slashers recently, and they've really given me something to write about - you should incorporate Godzilla somehow!

Also, I don't know if you live with your parents, with housemates or a partner - but you should talk to them for ideas. My sister always gives me buckets of material.

I really should. Godzilla's cool, and would make for cool artwork, if anything.
Yeah, I have a sister too. She used to help me a lot but we haven't really talked about my zine in a while. Maybe I should talk to her.

[Weepy Gonzales]

Good anime, good bands, good movies. But yeah, I'm in the midst of a very, very dry spell creatively right now.
I've been at the library a LOT lately checking out CDs and books to get inspired by, and so far, that's been hopeless.
Totally going to check out Google Books.

Paper Planes Aflame said:

Well, I go through horribly long dry spells sometimes, and I always jump start my creativity accidentally. A new romance, a new friendship, watching an anime like Wolf's Rain or Neon Genesis Evangelion, listening to any of the more creative bands out there (The Pixies, At The Drive In, Cloud Cult, Dinosaur Jr...), watching a good movie (Harold and Maude, Donnie Darko, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind...), stumbling through the net via stumbleupon...

I plan on going through Google Books soon, too, as I heard they now have the entire catalog of Time Magazine. The oldies are sure to be funny, and have some decent pictures.

[Weepy Gonzales]

it's totally fine. still checkin' it out

Paper Planes Aflame said:

Bah, I misread it. It's freaking LIFE, not TIME. For everyone who's still interested: Google Books LIFE. Sorry... :(

Hali said:

Good anime, good bands, good movies. But yeah, I'm in the midst of a very, very dry spell creatively right now.
I've been at the library a LOT lately checking out CDs and books to get inspired by, and so far, that's been hopeless.
Totally going to check out Google Books.

Paper Planes Aflame said:

Well, I go through horribly long dry spells sometimes, and I always jump start my creativity accidentally. A new romance, a new friendship, watching an anime like Wolf's Rain or Neon Genesis Evangelion, listening to any of the more creative bands out there (The Pixies, At The Drive In, Cloud Cult, Dinosaur Jr...), watching a good movie (Harold and Maude, Donnie Darko, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind...), stumbling through the net via stumbleupon...

I plan on going through Google Books soon, too, as I heard they now have the entire catalog of Time Magazine. The oldies are sure to be funny, and have some decent pictures.

[Weepy Gonzales]

AAAHHHH THIS IS WONDERFUL

Paper Planes Aflame said:

Bah, I misread it. It's freaking LIFE, not TIME. For everyone who's still interested: Google Books LIFE. Sorry... :(

Hali said:

Good anime, good bands, good movies. But yeah, I'm in the midst of a very, very dry spell creatively right now.
I've been at the library a LOT lately checking out CDs and books to get inspired by, and so far, that's been hopeless.
Totally going to check out Google Books.

Paper Planes Aflame said:

Well, I go through horribly long dry spells sometimes, and I always jump start my creativity accidentally. A new romance, a new friendship, watching an anime like Wolf's Rain or Neon Genesis Evangelion, listening to any of the more creative bands out there (The Pixies, At The Drive In, Cloud Cult, Dinosaur Jr...), watching a good movie (Harold and Maude, Donnie Darko, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind...), stumbling through the net via stumbleupon...

I plan on going through Google Books soon, too, as I heard they now have the entire catalog of Time Magazine. The oldies are sure to be funny, and have some decent pictures.

[incurable hippie]

Oh wow, those LIFE magazines from the 30s and 40s are amazing!

[Weepy Gonzales]

Yeah, I know, they're the absolute greatest. I have been digging through them for forever

[Weepy Gonzales]

It seriously was. I am getting so much from these archives

[tim scannell]

walk my dogs...walk through my town...(only 1 road W & 1 road E);
google...buy paper ephemera in 2nd-hand shops and antique stores...MAKE
SOMETHING EVERY DAY...atc(artist trading card)...mail-art...or
a mini-zine (one piece 8.5x11 folded twice=8pp.)
answer mail-art/zine correspondence...usually 3-4 letters/day...but then
i've been doing this zine/mail-art stuff
for over 15 years.....................have beaucoup friends
everywhere in world
tim

Hali said:

It seriously was. I am getting so much from these archives

[Weepy Gonzales]

Cool cool. Also, I like your name.