Inspiration and Fish.

“Don’t wait for inspiration. Get to work.” — Twyla Tharp

Years ago I had this quote scrawled on a yellow post-it-note and stuck to the side of my computer monitor at work. I had stumbled upon it in a magazine somewhere, and it resonated with me. Big time. I knew it must be immediately captured and placed somewhere in plain view, for I was well aware of how often I’d need its reminder.

I struggled, you see, with grabbing hold of that elusive thing called “inspiration”. It’s a dilemma I still find myself in, as I would imagine that any creative professional does.

After all, what artist hasn’t found herself staring at a blank canvas? An empty stage? A blinking cursor? A silent guitar? Or (in my case) a glaringly white new Photoshop document?

To the recreational artist, this isn’t that much of a problem. With no schedule, no deadlines, and no client to please, the art can be put on the shelf until inspiration arrives.

After all, that is the natural, human inclination.

And there’s the rub. For once the thin line between “recreational artist” and “creative professional” has been crossed (that is, as soon as the artist is creating something for someone else, to meet a deadline, and/or for any kind of payment), inspiration is not something that the artist can afford to wait for. Literally.

Deadlines can be counted on. Inspiration can’t.

So when I need to design a cover but the inspiration is just not there, instead of just walking away altogether, wishing that inspiration came on tap or could be bottled and sold (I’d be happy to design the label, pro bono, by the way), I try to practice Ms. Tharp’s advice:

I get to work.

I make pencil sketches. I do a photo search of key themes of the book to see what shows up. I set the title in a number of different fonts. I start piecing together random photos and title configurations to see if anything “clicks”. I move to a different project for a few minutes, hoping that it will stimulate the creative juices. I take a walk, breathing the fresh air and drinking in the beauty of creation. I brainstorm cover concepts with myself, jotting down any ideas that come to mind — good or bad. I ask someone else for their perspective. If possible, I change my work setting (a coffee-shop bustling with people or a quiet room with wide windows overlooking a lovely outdoor scenic can stir up emotions and ideas that an office can’t — and vice versa). I’ll even do petty things like change my computer’s desktop background (hey, it works for me).

The point is that I keep working, moving, thinking, and trying; persevering until I have something to show for it. It may take awhile, but it almost always proves effective in giving me something to work with.

I’ve heard it put this way: if you go fishing, you might not catch any fish. If you don’t go fishing, you definitely won’t catch any fish.

And so, along the lines of that last analogy, I offer this challenge and encouragement to myself and my fellow “creatives” in the publishing industry — designers, authors, illustrators, and the like:  keep fishing, no matter how futile it may seem. There is much to be said — plenty of fish to be caught. Maybe all we need is to try some different bait.

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Nikki Wallace
Dugan Design Group

I have worked as a graphic designer for the past decade or so, primarily designing book covers. I also spent 8 years working in Christian retail, enjoy reading, singing/songwriting and art, and delight in my primary roles as wife to my husband Mark and mommy to my two young kiddos.

Posted in Design, Uncategorized, Writing

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