Reading Assignment #3

Read Stage 1: Inspiration 17-38

This reading assignment dealt with the first stage of Aspelund's design process, Inspiration. "No matter what form it takes, inspiration is an energy that drives people to be creative and infuses their creations with life" (Aspelund pg18). The author writes how to go about choosing sources of inspiration. He explains how we must be careful when "immersing" ourselves in others artist's works because we may lose our own originality and creativity.

I am really glad Aspelund mentions this because it is my biggest fear. If I do extensive research before I begin a project, I am always afraid that I've unconsciously introduced the ideas I've seen into my own work. I second guess my own creativity. I believe the answer to my problem lies in what Aspelund writes about next, which is using our imagination. He says that we should engage in playtime as children do because, when children play they can turn an ordinary object into several extraordinary wonders. This would work well in my case because everyone thinks differently and therefore if I use my own imagination, it will be whatever I make of it, not what I've seen someone else make of it.

Lastly, Aspelund talks about opening ourselves to new stimulations and challenges. Experiencing and learning new things can broaden our ranges for ideas to which I completely agree. A good example for me is music. I am always on high alert for new songs and bands. Whether it's movies, commercials, radio, television shows, I always pay attention to the music. Most of the time, I will hear a song I like and then I'll do more reseach and end up adding a new band or genre to my favorites list. I believe applying the same outlook for everything else could really help in generating a large repretoire of ideas.