OK, as a test of my "you can get inspiration from anything" post, I've decided to take my own advice. I took a picture of the grossest thing I could find in my house: Yes, my husband's bathroom (well, a portion of it). I used it as inspiration for a layout, as a lark, and I really like how it came out. So I think I'm going to start taking pictures of unlikely inspirational sources to see just how possible it is to use such things.
LOL, Well I didn't know what to title this post, so I went with "Commentary." It is a copy/paste of one of my own message board replies on the CK MB. I just thought it really makes clear my own personal opinion on the topic and thought, since it's my blog, I can certainly post it here as well:
I think what is hurting this industry most is that there has to be a "paper" camp and a "digi" camp. How about a "scrap" camp that oohs and aahs over the emotional impact and memory a page evokes or its beautiful photo(s) or great technique or striking colors, etc...Why say "there's nothing here for me to look at because they're all digi" or "this doesn't help me out because they only used one photo".
Art/Design is art/design INDEPENDANT of the tools used to create it.
I don't normally frequent 2Peas, but I do know they have a really cool section called "Round Robin" where one artist uses a previous artist's LO as inspiration - through 5 artists total. The artists take inspiration from the one before and the result is usually that paper and digi, single and multi photos all end up being represented by the end.
To be so closed-minded as to say you can't be inspired by a certain art because of the tools used to create it is really short-changing yourself. It would be akin to me saying "there is nothing for me to look at in the Bazzill design books because they only used solid cardstock and I use patterned paper." Seems silly, right? Or, "I can't get anything out of the Making Memory books because I like to use KI Memories products." Tools are TOOLS, they don't dictate the outcome, only the process necessary to use them.
If you have ever been inspired by a beautiful painting or a vibrant sunset, then you have already been influenced by a medium outside your "normal" one. Take it one step further and truly open your eyes to all possibilities regardless of the method used to achieve the outcome.
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Indy: If you don't like doing the annual report, then why don't you just take the day off?
Me: I can't, it's due tomorrow.
I: You told us awhile ago that it was done. That's why we got to celebrate with ice cream.
M: That was a different deadline. A project as big as an annual report has lots of little deadlines and then one big one.
I: Oh, so do we get ice cream tomorrow?
M: Um, no, but we can on Friday, for 'friday treat'.
I: How come you have to do it anyway. Can't they get some other scrapbooker to do the annual report?
M: (lol) I don't scrapbook at work honey. I am a graphic designer.
I: Oh. Well, what is graphic design?
M: Everything you see that's been printed - like that Capri sun package you're holding, a graphic designer decided what pictures to use, what words to use, what the words looked like...Anything printed is designed by a graphic designer.
I: Oh, so if I draw a picture in (Microsoft) Paint and print it out, then I am a graphic designer?
M: There's a little more to it than that...you have to know what you're doing.
I: Oh, I know what I'm doing.
This is exactly my problem. 500 other employees at my work think all you have to do is draw something in Paint and print it out and you, too, can be a graphic designer.