Inspiration. It can be your best friend. Or your worst enemy.

After a few weeks in the TrendyMinds office, I’ve come to discover that inspiration is more than just a theory. It’s literally oozing out of the dry wall here on Mass Ave.

Whether you’re a designer, a writer or a web developer, you have to find a source. Which got me thinking – where do I find inspiration? And how do I channel it to be the most productive?

For some designers, it’s easy to go off of a keen eye or a sense of knowing  “what looks good.” That’s instinct. And often what sets apart the great from the good. But, what’s really important—and often overlooked—is the use of inspiration to keep projects fresh and different.

So I thought I’d share a bit about where I find inspiration daily:

• Everywhere! From popular music to elegantly crafted lettering on vintage packages, you just have to open your eyes.
• Social networking sites like Dribbble, Twitter and Designspiration. These help me stay in the know and constantly immersed in the world of design.
• A countless number of blogs and websites. I enjoy these because they highlight certain aspects of design like packaging and web.
• I get away from the computer whenever possible – books, magazines, art galleries, anything!

There is a fine line to be walked when drawing inspiration. To be honest, it’s pretty easy to find work completed by another designer and replicate it. But this isn’t the kind of inspiration I’m talking about.

A strong designer constantly gathers the inspiration around them and brings out key elements when the right project presents itself. The art and ultimate strategy of design is to take aspects of many inspirational outlets and incorporate them into a solid and cohesive whole that is all your own.

As the old saying goes: It’s not where you take things from. It’s where you take them to.

Let us know – where do you find inspiration?