Running in Converse: Inspiration

“What inspires you?” is a question that is asked to countless designers ad nausea. It is as prevalent as hearing “ Who are you wearing?” at the Oscars, yet the aforementioned question does more than skim the surface.

Asking someone what their inspiration was for a certain collection is like going back in time to figure out a specific and personal moment of their lives. One gets a glimpse into what makes them tick, what they imagine, the direction they are going and where they have come from out of only three little words.

Inspiration can come from very personal experiences. From the more trying events in our lives, the most beautiful ideas are be born. It is when we are pressed to our limits that we evolve. So much beauty comes out of the struggle. One may not recognize it in the moment, but only after the fact, yet it is there. Nothing fabulous comes out of the status quo. From the onset of the recession, I have been telling people that creativity will be derived… mark my words. Precedents will be set, alterations will be made, and something amazing will be born. I have already caught a glimpse and I promise you it will not disappoint. There is an awakening going on all around us. Get excited!

Inspiration can also be as impersonal as seeing a fabulous brand-less scarf in a vintage store, and by the way the colors are composed ignites something in you that you cannot yet put your finger on but you know from it, some idea will be produced. Or it could come from waiting for the subway and seeing the wording and pictures from an ad that was vandalized. Ideas are always waiting to be hatched.

What inspires me? All the people in my life play an important role. Present or past, there has been something from everyone who has aided in my creative growth. Built me up or tried to break me down, each individual has had his or her place in my life. The random events also seem to spark something in me as well. Getting off the wrong subway stop and ending up at the Marcy Projects because I was deeply engaged in my iPhone or sneaking into a hostel in Bushwick has opened up new outlets into the world for me to explore. The are countless acts of beauty and despair all around us, and depending on my outlook at the time, that is what will dictate what I will see and will help inspire my next work of art no matter what medium I am working in.

Relax, go out and try something new, for you never know what is waiting around the corner to inspire you. I am even finding myself inspired as I type this column. The ice cream truck is coming around for the billionth time and the song propelled out of his truck is inspiring me to buy a shotgun.