June 4

If you are a designer, do you only read design-related magazines or visit websites that show others’ work in your field? As an entrepreneur, do you only read business books and magazines? If you write, do you seek inspiration from other writers in your genre? Or if you’re a photographer, do you only follow photography social media accounts?

It’s easy to slip into the rut of only seeking inspiration from tried and true, trusted wells. It makes sense to attempt to see what others in your fields are doing. In fact, it is smart to stay abreast of trends. However, you’re also likely to slip into comparison mode rather easily when you’re only looking at others who do what you do, and you risk the danger of copying someone else’s idea and mistaking it for your own.

Instead, strive to seek creative inspiration from those who are out- side your field. One studio creative director told me that he never sought inspiration through video and film but instead sought all his inspiration through reading fiction. He was able to make intuitive leaps and connec- tions between what he was reading and the work he was doing, and many of his ideas felt really novel because they were sourced outside where his peers were looking.

Identify a handful of resources outside your field to peruse for inspiration.

Seek inspiration outside your core domain.

QUESTION

Where do you regularly find inspiration for your work? What are some sources outside your field that might spark new ways of seeing the work?