The 7 best ways to find Inspiration

Not knowing what to make for your next 3D project is surprisingly common! These are the 7 tips and techniques I use to help me think of new ideas.

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Follow me:

[FaultBat]

"While we're rendering." Because you've got to fill that time with something interesting.

[mafiozorek]

Thanks to your videos I started playing with Blender. The first one I saw was "the secret ingredient to photorealism" and even though I knew nothing about modeling I watched it. Then I saw the tutorial and now I'm spending my whole free time on that.
I hope that this hobby will stay with me for a while. I love it.

[YousifPhotoshopTutorials]

you'r awesome ♥ thank you for this one

Andrew's Answer

[nadirnad]

name it "full screen" because usualy your face covering a small earia in the screen

[matt_phistopheles]

When I want to make "something" then I visit wikipedia, click on "random article" a few times and read the headlines every round, maybe look at a picture or read a small text snippet. I spend 5s max at every page. After a while my brain starts to build a story around the unconnected and very unpredictable things that wikipedia spits out. This is very inspiring and really helps me to get started.

[SpoonerStudios]

You are an inspiration and I mean that whole heartedly. Your last video in this series I have put into place in my project/life workload and IT WORKS!. I have got so many projects on the go all the time and I'm now able to move forward on all of them by just doing one thing on each of them. Each project is progressing, thank you.

[pirobotbeta]

SMART goal planning, mate!
>Singular goal. "I can make the general shape of a Battleship."
>Measurable outcome. "I will know I am done when it looks like a Battleship."
>Achievable outcome. "I know what I want the Battleship to look like, and my skills are up to the task."
>Realistic outcome. "OK, not every rivet and weld-line, but most people would recognize it as a Battleship."
>Timely outcome. "I can have it done in three days."
This is not just the work-flow in a Studio, any endeavor can be broken down in this way.
Will SMART make you a better artist?
No.
But it will help to prevent feeling 'stuck' in a project.

[fractaljay]

I've just finished reading The War of Art and it was exactly what I needed. Thanks Andrew, your inspirations are what we all need to hear and for me it happened when you said READ! Yes! The imagination creates so much imagery and storytelling ideas when we hear the stories of others that pass on their genius. Thanks so much for sharing.

[DarinSimmons]

"Chinwag with Andrew". It's simple, it's unique, it's not rude or mean, and it captures what's happening. There's something about a chin flopping up and down "wagging" that evokes 3D animation too.

[PlamenAndreevX]

Here is a list of things that come up to my mind:

- Explained Series
- Thought Series
- Background Thoughts
- Meta Tips
- Hidden battle
- Community Edition
- ThinkBox
- ResponseMachine
- ResponseBox
- Andrew Answers
- Andrew Speaks
- Behind The Scenes
- Did you know Series

[epigeios]

10 bad ideas. Oh god, _finally_ ; some advice for inspiration that actually works for me!
Thanks! I've always had trouble with creativity (in the sense of producing inspiration from nothing), but it's not because my brain isn't thinking of anything, it's just because none of the things my brain is thinking of are complete. It's extremely easy to turn an incomplete thought into a bad idea, and it's then quite easy to turn a list of bad ideas into a good idea.

When I was in pre-school, kids were tasked with writing a sentence and drawing something related every morning. Every morning, I would stare at a blank paper for 30+ minutes. If someone gave me this advice back then, I'd have spent my life being much more creative.

[Peaceification]

I don't work in blender, but I've watched everything from Andrew.
Every time I listen to him talk, I want to open up blender and start working full time on it.

[Rolroorlo]

and the most interesting thing is i subscribed for the blender themed videos, not work-projects related videos so its pretty cool

[BlacksheepDLabs]

if you are a beginner, then blender guru is the place to start, it feels like home. and i am loving learning from your tuts.

[AlexB-xrbd]

here are a few name ideas...funny and serious. ;)

"Andrew talks into the webcam show!"
"Best practices by BG"
"Complimentary" Blender guru helps you with the non-technical side of art and story
"BG face time"
"BG tips"
"Answers"
"Listed" The show that gives you a concrete and practical top list of answers to help you.
"The creative"
"teachTalk"

Maybe you'll find some inspiration in those name idea. ;)

[felixbo]

Another good way to get inspiration: If everything else fails just do ANYTHING. Just start something. Often you will become Ideas what you could add to it and where to use it. Actually, my first 16minute 3D Blender Movie(which is on my channel) started like that. I had no idea, so i randomly made a skijumping Pixar lamp and tadaa! A whole 16 minute long movie after a few months.

[ChrisLerouxDesign]

Just ordered all of the books you suggested. I've always struggled with coming up with projects for Blender, and as a result just haven't done anything in years.... I appreciate you making this video.

[alvapeng]

1. Simplifying it (give yourself a ddl)
2. Create an inspiration map (make yourself a place to put things you like)
3. Constrain yourself (give yourself a theme)
4. Browse (Art Station / Behance / 500px)
5. READ (read fictions)
6. get OUT (from your computer)
7. create 10 bad ideas

[ahmedshakib]

raindrops, thoughts and pops with andrew.

[ShantanuBaviskar]

Nothing special to say, just wanted to say thank you for giving "homeworks" in tutorials. they actually force me out of my comfort zone instead of just copy what you are modeling, and I end up with decent models (not as good as yours but decent nonetheless)

And one more thing....You sir, are one of the most inspirational people I've ever met on the internet. not only for blender or because for being master in blender, but in general :) keep doing what you do and keep inspiring us beginners to become a professional. :)