EDIT: The competition is now closed for entries. Mike will choose the winners and we’ll announce them here on the blog shortly.
OK the holiday season is upon us, so it’s time for some fun. 🙂
Designer and Lateral Action writer Mike Kammerling has kindly created a limited edition of five inspirational prints for Lateral Action readers, which we’re giving away on the blog – so read on for details of how to win one.
The prints feature Mike’s treatment of the opening words of Homer’s Odyssey, as the poet appeals to the Muse for inspiration:
Sing in me, Muse
Whether or not you take the idea of the Muse literally, I think we can all relate to the experience of a certain indefinable something – call it inspiration, the unconscious mind, the creative zone, or whatever – that takes over at certain times and touches our creative work with a little unexpected magic.
As a poet myself, I love Mike’s choice of subject and his treatment of the text. And we’ve debated the idea of the Muse on more than one occasion here on Lateral Action, so I was delighted when he approached me with the idea of giving the prints away on the blog.
For the competition, Mike has created an extremely limited edition of five copies of the print, featuring the name ‘Lateral Action’ as well as ‘Tinder and Sparks’ (Mike’s own brand), and printed on luxurious reflective gold card.
For more detailed shots of the print, visit this page of Mike’s site.
For a chance of winning one of these prints, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling us what inspires your creativity.
We’ll leave the comments open for one week, and after that Mike will chose the five winners. (And he’s kindly volunteered to ship these to wherever you live in the world.)
I was reading the posts about Muses on Lateral Action and, drunk on the words, the first line of Homer’s Odyssey came to me. I remember thinking it would make a rather good print, and sat on the idea for a while until it worked its way into a style of its own.
So I thought I would give something back by giving some prints away, since I really owe its existence to this blog. And, of course, my own Muse.
If you’d like one of Mike’s prints to hang on your wall to remind you of that little spark of inspiration we’re all seeking, leave a comment below telling us what inspires you.
Comments will be open until the end of next Monday 12 December. After that Mike will choose the winners, who will be announced here on Lateral Action.
It could be a person, a place, a time of day, a mood, a piece of music or an artwork. It could be something sophisticated and artistic – or something as down-to-earth as the need to pay next month’s bills.
Don’t worry if it’s not something lofty and Romantic – Mike tells me he’s interested in hearing about what really inspires you, however magical OR mundane!
Thanks to Mike for such a generous gift, and good luck with your entries!
About the Artist: Mike Kammerling is a graphic designer, blogger and wide-eyed boy, whose mission at Tinder + Sparks Design is to make business beautiful. You can find more musings on design and creativity at his design blog and on Twitter.
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« Previous 1 … 8 9 10Throughout the entire work inspires me a lot of things. And hard to pick just one thing. But recently, the main inspiration is the people! To be more precise - a manifestation of feelings. Kindness, compassion, consideration, courtesy, just a smile girl on the street or help a stranger. For this we really want to do.
What a lovely idea (and print collection!) and what great responses ... you could pull these together into an e-book, Mark! ;)
My sources of inspiration vary - mercurial as the proverbial muse. Sometimes it is solitude that gives me the time and space my ideas need to step forward from the shadows and slowly coalesce into tangible forms. Sometimes, it is being in the company of other creative people - bouncing our ideas off each other and watching them transform and mutate with each ricochet - combining with each other and evolving right before our eyes. Many times, it's nature that opens my eyes and my heart. My daughter inspires me to reach back into my own childhood and take risks now that I might not otherwise take.
There are so many sources of inspiration, but none of them can reach me unless I add the critical, secret ingredient - my attention. Life gets so busy - it's easy to be distracted by everything going on around us and miss out on precious moments of inspiration. But, when we stop, breathe, look, and listen - we give our muse permission to step up and step in.
Happy holidays and happy creating!
How wonderful to read all your thoughts and comments - what inspiring people you all are!
What inspires me is the moment when I am working with a client and they suddenly realise for themselves what is possible, or get back in touch with why they want to create. The sharp intake of breath, the glint in the eye, the excited raising of an eyebrow, the quick smile - and the realisation of their own greatness!
Beautiful print, fun contest, and very life affirming modes of inspiration - Thank you!
I'm inspired by enthusiasm, mine or that of someone else. It can be enthusiasm over ANYTHING, just to be in that state of mind opens the flood gates to ideas and expression.
Wow, great competition and great to know all the inspriring modes of inspiration, in many of which i see what inspires me aswell.
To mention a few, I am inspired by listening to good music and singing as well..by reading a good enlightening book....the company of my children...infectious enthusiasm.....and above all a knowledge of the holy, in knowing that I am in right standing with God which releases me to pursue my dreams.
I'm inspired by the every day. Possibilities of doing something new. Improving my life. Working for my family.
The sea. I grew up a stone's throw away from the south coast of England and regardless of the time of year, the weather, or the actual stretch of coast itself, the ebb and flow of the tide – and the general surroundings – it's the one constant I can rely on to inspire me, with or without camera in hand. (Even the seagulls.) The number of good creative ideas I've had during or after a trip to the coast is far too many to mention.
Nowadays I live in London and don't get to 'go coastal' as much as I'd like, so I'll say listening to the Beach Boys also inspires me in a different way – aside from the music itself, listening to the outtakes of Brian Wilson directing and cajoling his band and the 'Wrecking Crew' session musicians into getting to the perfect take is like being a fly on the wall watching a creative master at work. Inspiring in a different way!
I get inspired by a number of things: People, music, quotes and challenging situations. Recently, I just stepped out of 'comfort zone' to try my hands on a venture I should have had running for some years now because my friend, in showing me what he was doing, ignited the fire in me.
As a published poet and an autistic (Aspergers Syndrome / high functioning autistic) I must say that my muse is elusive and can drop in at the most unexpected time and place and I can miss her if I'm not attentive but I must say that words and how they can be so beautifully put together by authors, poets, prophets, dreamers... has so many times given sight to someone who doesn't see the world like normals do, is blind in many ways in their world and allowed me new vistas, horizons and worlds to see, to explore and bring home new insights, understandings, growth. This in turn has allowed me to see myself and my world anew and inspired me to creatively express what lay fallow and inexpressible until that moment when the muse through those words gave me sight and touched my lips and ...