Sources of inspiration

Written by Alex on November 3, 2011 in Design and Creativity, Uncategorized - 1 Comment

The way I see it, inspiration comes in two flavors. The first kind is spontaneous inspiration, which is the kind that usually takes you by surprise.  You might watch a movie, and a character will inspires you.  Sometimes in conversations with other people, you might be inspired to change the way you think about things and approach your work from different directions.  We have little control over this kind of inspiration, other than placing yourself in situations that allow for it, and ceasing on the opportunity when we experience it.  The second and more common type of inspiration is the kind that we actively pursue.  Read more…

Touchy subject

Written by Alex on May 11, 2011 in Design and Creativity, Uncategorized - 1 Comment

As kids we love to touch things, but as we get older we are taught that usually touching is bad. I remember taking my little brother to the Museum of Modern Art, and when he saw the Bicycle Wheel by Marcel Duchamp he did what any self-respecting 10-year-old boy would have done in his place. He came over and spun the wheel. It is easy to imagine what happened next – the guards awoke from their trance, and seeing the opportunity to actually do their job flocked over to us, scolding me for being inattentive and him for daring to touch the great work of art.

Parents are constantly telling kids not to touch things – whether it’s something that’s fragile or dirty or dangerous, the typical reaction is: Don’t touch! So what does that do to kids in the long run? I think it develops an unfulfilled need or mild fixation. This isn’t necessarily a need to touch things that you’re not supposed to, but rather something that sits in the back of our minds and elevates the concept of touch to a higher level.
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