Your sources of inspiration.

[Frostyfirefly]

Whoa, story of my life!

Indeed, my work is the outward manifestation of my soul. That's how I value it. So many times, connections upon connections form that I couldn't have dreamed of. I get this amazing rush of creative energy, like a full-body tingling sensation. I'd rather have nothing else; no other gifts, no other possessions than my own creations.

I'm going to save what you said about Zen and clarity of mind, by the way. I could really benefit from it... thank you.

That sounds kinda like Neo in the matrix  BD

You are welcome, glad I could share something useful.

 

[Solo]

That sounds kinda like Neo in the matrix  BD

Wow, really? Awesome. Maybe the writers/creators were onto something there!

 

[Caitlin]

Dreams, history, previous ideas, games, movies, or just things I happen to be thinking about. Usually, ideas start out as seeds and grow into ideas that take me by surprise. I have taken ideas from anything, at any time, which is nice unless you want to sleep at some point.

 

[Solo]

Dreams, history, previous ideas, games, movies, or just things I happen to be thinking about. Usually, ideas start out as seeds and grow into ideas that take me by surprise. I have taken ideas from anything, at any time, which is nice unless you want to sleep at some point.

I can't believe I forgot about dreams. My dreams are also a tremendous source of inspiration for me.

I also agree with ideas being seeds. That's totally what it's like.

And I have lost sleep to creativity more times than I can count. Not that I resent it or anything...  One time I was up writing pages and pages of notes until about 8:00 in the morning... my arm hurt.

Oh, but was it ever WORTH it!

There's something else there, too. Sometimes inspiration just comes out of nowhere. In fact, that's usually the most profound form of inspiration... Maybe it has something to do with your mind being totally free at night/in bed, and therefore uninhibited and completely open to the underlying creative energies that permeate the universe. It's like those energies resonate with your own ideas and give birth to something incredible...

 

[Caitlin]

(_ _') Man, that's true.. I always considered that I had a pot that I dumped everything in. Each time, I dip my spoon in, it's like a completely new dish or in this case, idea. Even then, I creat worlds, so I take different roads.

 

[Frostyfirefly]

(_ _') Man, that's true.. I always considered that I had a pot that I dumped everything in. Each time, I dip my spoon in, it's like a completely new dish or in this case, idea. Even then, I creat worlds, so I take different roads.

A magic pot that produces a spoonfull of new ideas.

 

[Square_art]

Just the people who I love

 

[Frostyfirefly]

Just the people who I love

Ok, love for others fuels your creativity.

 

[Seraph]

Some of my inspiration just comes from books, game plots, anime, and very rarely movies. But a majority of it comes from mending the various mythology I've read during my HS years, there is something about myths that are just fascinating.

 

[Frostyfirefly]

Some of my inspiration just comes from books, game plots, anime, and very rarely movies. But a majority of it comes from mending the various mythology I've read during my HS years, there is something about myths that are just fascinating.

Another mythology fan, yes!

 

[OM3GA-Z3RO]

Most of my inspiration comes from my wild imagination and the things I have been through in my life, I meld my imagination and my real life encounters into something that is completely different (Doesn't make much sense but yeah).

Books and stories are just fuel to my imagination.

 

[Xortberg]

My inspiration for a game depends on the project. My current project is an attempt to adapt what was originally a dream I had into game form. I woke up in the middle of the night, scribbled down some notes, and planned on making it into a D&D campaign but that never took off. Sooo I made some changes and am now working on it in RPGM.

If there's any one thing that acts as a constant source of inspiration, it's all the stuff by Type-Moon. The Nasuverse is basically my favorite fictional universe of all time, even with all its flaws, since I really dig urban fantasy. The big project I have in mind once I get a better handle on RPGM is very urban fantasy, and I have a fair few other ideas that I can trace back to the Nasuverse in some way or another.

Like a couple people have said so far in this topic, mythology is also a pretty great source of ideas, but I tend to try and avoid the more well-known mythological figures in favor of the more obscure ones. There's a lot of really cool gods and demigods out there who aren't just Thor or Hercules, and I love learning about all of them.

 

[Frostyfirefly]

@ OM3GA-Z3RO: Actually, it makes perfect sense, the world would be a completely boring place if you didn't use your imagination like that.

@ Xortberg: I love D&D! Well, except for any version after 3.75, I DM in the Realms whenever I can; not much time to play these days.

Urban fantasy has a lot of potential that has yet to be tapped into imho.

Yes, sometimes is too cliched to use the same gods over and over again.

 

[Solo]

Most of my inspiration comes from my wild imagination and the things I have been through in my life, I meld my imagination and my real life encounters into something that is completely different (Doesn't make much sense but yeah).

Actually, it makes perfect sense...

 

[Frostyfirefly]

Actually, it makes perfect sense...

Lol Solo, you said the same thing I did, check my reply above yours.

 

[negative_headed]

This is a little... eh...

I close my eyes and think up variables, apply these variables to a world and then watch how the world develops on it's own. Then when I notice something significant happen I home in on it and record all the details. I then use that as my story.

I don't know if it's crazy, creative, or the worlds most unusual form of voyeurism but that's what I do...

The upsetting thing about it is that when I create the world it keeps playing out in my head even after it's served it's purpose so I get kinda cluttered and have a tendency to zone out of the real world while I watch.

I keep telling myself if I finally publish the world for all to see then I can finally stop seeing it in my head but lately I've begun to wonder if that'll even turn out to be true.

 

[ロリ先輩]

One thing that I've learned with my failed attempt to be an art student within the last four years is, it never hurts to have a sketchbook and camera everywhere you go. Ideas can literally pop up from nowhere, and mine tend to start from mechanics or gameplay features, and extend from there. Other times, it stems from certain architectural elements, or different functionality of objects.

 

[Frostyfirefly]

@ negative_headed: Maybe you could say that's crazy and creative at the same time. I think you sometimes have to be a little crazy when you create original things, but it's important to jump out of that madness as well.

@ Loli: That makes sense. I'm not much of a camera guy, but I understand the importance of seeing the world around you with a truly perceptive eye. I also think that you don't really fail at art as long as it leaves a mark on you. 

 

[Sketcy-Sketch]

My inspiration comes from my love of writing. When I was 11, I made a personal goal to read all the fiction books in my middle school library (except the "Goosebumps" series and the series about horses for some reason). I found this book called "The Hobbit," which looked interesting and, despite the wording being a bit intimidating for me at the time and it having a VERY slow start, it became my favorite book. I knew then that I wanted to make worlds that seemed just as vividly real feeling as this one that Tolkien had made. I don't think I would go out of my way to read a book about wizards and elves and such today, since it seems overdone, but it's still my favorite book to date.

 

[Frostyfirefly]

My inspiration comes from my love of writing. When I was 11, I made a personal goal to read all the fiction books in my middle school library (except the "Goosebumps" series and the series about horses for some reason). I found this book called "The Hobbit," which looked interesting and, despite the wording being a bit intimidating for me at the time and it having a VERY slow start, it became my favorite book. I knew then that I wanted to make worlds that seemed just as vividly real feeling as this one that Tolkien had made. I don't think I would go out of my way to read a book about wizards and elves and such today, since it seems overdone, but it's still my favorite book to date.

I used to love the Goosebumps books! Even though most of them dropped the ball half-way through the story imho, I have almost all the books from the first series.

That's so cool that you liked The Hobbit, did you like the Lord of The Rings as well? Funny enough, but maybe you already know this, Tolkien took inspiration, and basically ripped off many parts of the Kalevala and some Finnish myths, so it's no wonder so many games and stories base their own archetypes and stereotypes around these myths that keep repeating themselves throughout history and myth (haha, that last part sounded like something from out of a Soul Calibur game!).

I hope your game is filled with that inspiration you talk about, that had it's start on The Hobbit but will probably become something different and, who knows, maybe better, in the end.