Creative Spark/Character Design

Writer's block is a virus that has mutated across the novel/book platform into other facets of design. Stare at the blank monitor, and it stares back. The resource here is a simple, effective, tiny tool that helps break that blank stare and ignite ideas into an artistic path, choice, design, etc.

Don't laugh, I have composed music for indie games, written for a major MMORPG, designed RPG maps, and self published five novels, and it really works:

Step 1: Relax. Creativity comes out when you aren't looking. That's why when you are watching television, reading a book, or falling asleep, you get killer ideas.

Step 2: Flip through a magazine. Best one? Vogue Magazine. Now, I'm a science fiction guy, but if you flip through almost any Vogue Magazine, you will see interesting characters that somehow got caught before a camera. Those photographers and models are so over the top, they are literally doing all the work for my creative brain. I just pick through what I like, and my brain builds the bridges between ideas and where to go next.

In a video game, this would apply to an artist needing creative spark with a character's look or a character's wardrobe. Also it would apply to set design; nice touches like furniture, decorations, and other small touches that would breathe life into the room.

Thanks very much.