Indianapolis Museum of Art Blog

How do you make a magazine that captures the essence of a museum and theater, two historical estates, acres of glorious gardens and grounds, and a soon-to-be art and nature park? This is the question that has been on the top of my mind lately. It’s challenging, yet fun, to envision a magazine that entices readers to toss it aside half way through and come see for themselves. A magazine that demonstrates our mission and shows donors where their money is going. A magazine that the community sees themselves in and readers oceans away find engaging through online connections.

I sat down with IMA Senior Graphic Designer Matthew Taylor last week in the Design Studio to take a hard look at our current IMA membership magazine (Previews) and talk content and design. Read the rest of this entry »

Image from iainclaridge.net

I’m not afraid to admit it: I rarely have an original idea.

And this blog post is a perfect example. As I was reading Emily’s latest musings on inspiration, it got me thinking about how my own creative process works. More often than not, the ideas I come up with are born only after I have seen/read/heard something from someone else. Most people work like this, right? Don’t get me wrong, I never want to outright steal an idea, I just like to start with a well-established ball of clay and mold/spin/tweak it until it’s my own. That’s right folks, I’m a tweaker.

I’m also the collage queen. The very first picture I ever ripped out of a magazine was of Gwen Stefani (back when she was covered in henna tattoos and wore a bindi) on the cover of Seventeen. Ever since then, when I see a person, place, or thing that strikes my fancy, I rip it out and paste together with others in a way that expresses what I am all about.

Gwen Stefani, style icon

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Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra

Inspiration is a funny thing. It seems to be fleeting, one of the most important things in an artist’s life. Without it, the dreaded “block” which holds an artist immobile. How do artists find inspiration?

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It’s been a pretty busy time of year in the MIS department, and as you can imagine, we spend most of our days huddled over our computers hitting keys and cursing blue screens of death. In today’s world it’s ever-so-easy to become consumed by your computer and forget about reality.

The crisp autumn breeze and smell of change in the air has always put me in a great mood and provided creative inspiration. If you’re stuck in a rut at your computer, you need to get out and take a stroll through the grounds and park here at the IMA! Your spirits will be lifted in no time, I promise. Of course, if it’s raining you can always come inside and experience the great indoors.

Unfortunately, we don’t all have the option to leave the office and get outside. So I pulled out 10 sites from my del.icio.us bookmarks and put together a list of 10 sites that bring creative inspiration directly to your browser. Read the rest of this entry »