Weekly Inspiration

Certain things spark the creativity in all of us. Perhaps a smell associated with a powerful memory, or a long walk in the park or a drive through the countryside. Maybe a newspaper article, or a book we read. For me it's often visual - a piece of fantasy art or a tv show or movie. Well, I want to start gathering the things that inspire me every week and sharing them with you on Fridays. Because I browse Reddit a lot, you'll probably see several things for /r/earthporn or /r/imaginarylandscapes. I will always try to point back to the artist or owner of the material (or at least where I, myself, found it).

**If one of these is your work and you'd like it removed, please let me know and I'll do so ASAP.

I found this on fstarno's DevianART page. Magnificent vista. This is the kind of art I love; digitally realized, with a depth that makes you want to step into the world.

Last month's National Geographic had some interesting global warming maps in them, and I commented on it to Mark Lawrence, who's Broken Empire trilogy is set on a post-apocalyptic Earth. He said that he had used something similar to help him figure out his own maps. So that's cool.

This next one is kind of random: an article on Io9 about People Who Live Inside of Water Towers. I found that it helped me conceptualize what the design of a real castle tower (through a modern person's eyes).

I found the photo above on Reddit. I think the photographer might be Ed Cooley. The outcropping of rock, the fog, and the impenetrable forest all give it a very fantastical feeling. There could be an army in those woods, and you'd never know it until they were on top of you.

Skogafoss Falls, in Iceland seems like the type of place I'd want to visit. I found the following picture here (don't know the photographer). I like the vast emptiness of it all - although, someone in the comments pointed out that just to the right is a huge parking lot that's probably full of people. Oh well. That just goes to show the importance of cropping.

Not sure who the photographer is on this one either, but I love how solitary the picture is. Don't know what the cabin is for (ice fishing in the winter?). I imagine it would be a great place to buckle down and write. You know... if it has wifi. One thing I miss about living in Utah is seeing the mountains every day. They impart a kind of majesty that rolls over into one's writing.

I'll leave you with just one more that made my weekly inspirations list:

As far as I know this is a picture of the runoff pond for the crayola factory. But I still like it. The vibrant colors really grab me. I imagine I'm looking into the eye of the old man forest. Found here.