4 Reasons Why Movies & Shows Should Inspire Your Builds (Even If You're Not Creative)
You've figured out how to make effective solutions, but just cannot figure out how to be more creative.
Anytime you try out some creative endeavor, you get in your head and choke. You don't believe that you're able to get the ideas out of your head and into a project. If you're making projects to sell on Etsy or Shopify, the stakes seem even higher and you're letting the pressure get to you.
Instead, take a breath, and let the inspiration come to you from what you're already obsessed with, whether it's a show or movie.
Reason 1: You Combine Things You Already Love
You love Making things and movies, so combine them!
Some of my favorite projects have come when I combined a solution to a problem I had (needing a better desk) with a movie I loved (Star Wars). I started creating solutions to problems because I loved the process of Making things. Adding in elements from movies I love makes the Making process more enjoyable (except maybe the sanding).
Combining multiplies instead of adding.
Reason 2: You Turn Passive Interest Into A Creativity Flywheel
Once you start combining your entertainment interests with builds, you generate more and better ideas.
My first Star Wars project took months and looked terrible. However, it was a necessary rep to put the ideas together so I could continue to combine ideas in my head. Each project that combined a solution to a problem with Star Wars created 5 more ideas for components and projects.
When 1 project turns into 5 more ideas, you start to unlock a positive flywheel that's always working to push your creativity on the next project.
Reason 3: You Unlock Unseen Practical Solutions
Like with the creativity side, as you dive into more projects, you'll start to put more practical pieces in place as well.
Within every creative idea is some practical application as well, even from Star Wars. I like to think of creativity and practical as 2 sides of a wave where each creative idea generates a practical one which generates another creative. I've gotten ideas from Star Wars to have creative LEDs that have also generated ideas for desktop or wall indicators that are useful.
Your creativity unlocks ways to solve problems you wouldn't have otherwise put together.
Reason 4: You Tap Your Competitive Advantage
Finally, you already have a deep knowledge of the properties you love to consume, so use them to your advantage.
Whether you love Lord of the Rings, Star Wars (or Star Trek), Fallout, or any other series, your love of it drives you to constantly learn more. The more you learn about your favorite things, the more you want to incorporate them into your projects. Especially if you're selling your projects, tapping into that creativity is something that few others are doing beyond the surface level that's usually on Etsy.
Let your deep knowledge pay off by sharing it and your fellow geeks will find it and love what you're creating (as well as give you more ideas you can chase).
