WE all have our muse and source of inspiration.
I work in a theatre (not a movie theatre; a stage theatre for music, acting, dance and all) that's big enough to have lots of shows but too small to have a decent crew of designers/engineers/techies like me.
It's a lot of work, long hours and the required level of sustained concentration is exhaustively high, but I'm always in the best seat to witness some truly magical moments.
And there are these inspiring moments. Being somewhat halfway between an artist and an artisan myslef, being surrounded by artists of various backgrounds makes it a super-creative environment.
Indirectly, this relates to RPGs as well. Movies and books can be inspiring off course, but for me there's nothing like the sound of an orchestra tuning, or the dress-rehearsal of a contemporary dance show, or the cut-off performances of a band in sound checks while the presets of moving light are being recorded. I'm usually part of this whole process, but when I do have the luxury to sit aside, I take my laptop or a pencil&paper and come with ideas for games, characters, rules, setting and I feel in heaven.
So, what are your own muses?
I can't draw a decent stick figure, let alone anything recognizable. But I often browse the amazing artists on deviantart for inspiration. The scenes, creatures and characters I find there often get me picturing stories and adventures to include those images, even if its just in my own head.
The epic, symphonic, and power metal genres, classic pulp adventure, magazines like National Geographic, horror movies, nature photos, photos of abandoned buildings, fantasy and paleo-artwork, just to name a few things.
The epic, symphonic, and power metal genres, classic pulp adventure, magazines like National Geographic, horror movies, nature photos, photos of abandoned buildings, fantasy and paleo-artwork, just to name a few things.
emphasis mine
Oh yes! I remember a trip to my dentist (lo, a waiting room with actually interesting magazines!) and coming back with 1001 ideas. It made-up for the fact that I could speak straight for the rest of the day...