Inspiration is always a good thing. I love when I see an object, movement, person, or place that gives me an idea for a piece, or inspires a current project. Since I’m on the computer a whole helluva lot, sometimes the useful spots for inspiration aren’t as inspiring as before. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good CSS gallery as much as the next, but sometimes inspiration comes from different mediums often overlooked. Here are some good places for some slightly unorthodox inspiration.

 

Graffiti

I’ve always been a fan of graffiti. As a kid, maybe a bit to much as far as local authorities where concerned ☺ Nevertheless, graffiti, when done right, and lawfully, is a skillful, beautiful art that can be wildly inspirational. Graffiti.org has graffiti from all over the world, and tons of it. That’s by far my longest lasting favorite, but here is a couple more:

At 149 St.
All Caps Project
Bombing Science
I Love Graffiti
Nico 189

 

Skateboard Decks

Again, something I’ve always liked. Years spent going through catalog after catalog, admiring designs. Anywhere you can find them really, there are always bound to be a couple that are inspirational and thought provoking. Here’s a list of a couple good places to check out.

Warehouse Skateboards
Black Hole Boards
Skateboards.com
Board Pusher
Kick Pop Shop

 

Furniture

Alright, so this one may be a bit more out there. I personally can get inspiration from all things creative, not necessarily just print/web art. For me, I lean toward the modern furniture. The shapes, colors, arrangements are often very inspiring to me. So here are a couple sites to find inspirational furniture designs.

Euro Furniture
Massimo Vignelli
KMP Furniture
2 Modern
West Elm
Chiasso

  

Fitted Hats

I’m a huge fan of fitted hats. Most likely because I look very goofy in a normal ball cap. ☺ Either way, there are tons of really cool fitted hats out there. Of course you have your normal ball caps, with your local team name, but beyond that are thousands of very “design-y” type fitted hats. Here is a small list of some cool sites.

Hat Land
Strictly Fitteds
Hat Hustler
E-Cap City

 

Posters

I guess this would be a more traditional form of inspiration, but inspirational nonetheless! I tend to gravitate toward the more conceptual pieces, and ones with wonderful use of color (or, lack of color). There are tons of places to get cool posters, some obviously much better than others. Here are a couple cool sites to inspire:

Click For Art
Gig Posters
Kangaroo Press
International Posters