Inspiration is hard to come by.  It’s rare to think of a great idea from the word go (much less stick with it to the end).  Most of the time you have to go searching for it.  Don’t be afraid to do some homework, or in some cases, do research until your brain feels like a brick and your eyes feel like they will explode if you pick up one more book.  I know that must sound pretty awful, but it’s rewarding in the end.  It’s also necessary.  It helps you look at your concept/project from every angle imaginable.  You start to learn about your subject inside and out.  By the end, you’re pretty much an expert on whatever it is you’re working on.

Take, for example, Petar Pavlov, a graphic design student who looked to the history of the Aztec culture as well as geometry to tackle a new packaging concept for Doritos chips.  It might seem strange to delve into the world of math and history for an art project, but when you hear his reasoning and findings, you realize that it wouldn’t have made sense not to.  Art isn’t just about making things “look pretty.”  That’s the overall result.  Art, or more specifically graphic design, is about creating something new/that was never there before and through it making something tangible that we all can relate to and understand simply by looking at it.

Am I trying to hard here?

Source: abduzeedo.com -> behance.com

Anyway, my point is that inspiration is hard work and that artists have a much wider range of understanding than they get credit for.  That being said, you should check out the story on Petar Pavlov either at Abduzeedo or Behance.  Prepare to be awed.

One last thing.  I know research is a scary word.  If you’re like me, you used to cringe at the word when spoken by a teacher.  I never loved research until my third year of college.  Why?  Because I got to research topics I like.  It was actually, sorta…fun… which I like to call “learning at it’s finest.”  However, if you still hate research and/or research papers, I will share with you my secrets that I starting doing in college to not die of boredom.  1. Find out if or how your research can possibly connect to things you do find interesting.  2. If you can get away with it, throw in some personal opinions.  If you disagree with the topic (or just plain hate it), there are ways to let it be known without being tactless.  Giving your opinion helps you feel less like a robot doing work and more like an intelligent human being.  3. When it comes time to write your paper: After (and only after) you have written a well-rounded paper, throw in some fact or opinion or analysis that might seem a little far-fetched or comical.  Nothing ridiculous!  Just something that makes you chuckle to yourself and mutter “I can’t believe I’m actually putting this in my paper.”  That’s when you know you’re having fun with research.