Inspiration Boards

4.03.2008

TED Theme: The Creative Spark

“How are we inspired? Where might our imaginations take us? What does creativity look like in its wildest form? These clever, invigorating speakers plumb the wellspring of invention.”

Listen to TED Talks focusing on creativity here.

3.31.2008

J. Otto Seibold is an illustrator and author.

What is inspiring you right now?

Poverty, I think it is where honest living is. It’s the only real politics, so when every dollar matters, you pay attention to who gets it. That sounds harsh, but I’m trying to say as that outside of money and acting to get it I am having a very nice life right now.

What is your work space like?

An old school lunch table elevated on chunks of wood. It has a original stencil that reads “lunch table” and I drew the Mr. Lunch books at it.

It has a laptop and a Cintiq draw screen and a vase with curly branches that have fake flowers on the tips. I steal fake flowers … pick them … and I will take them from wherever they are found. But I only take one and make the absence invisible.

How do you come up with new ideas?

They just show up. It’s like a conversation. I used to think i was good at reacting. Someone would say something and it would trigger an interesting or funny connection. So writing alone is tough … you have to have someone, thing, to bounce off of. I often write with another person for that reason.

What do you do when you have illustrator’s block? Or do you even get illustrator’s block?

I don’t get it … I’m of the Miles Davis approach, one take. Sometimes I can’t draw … it just happens and I just wait till later. I also distract myself playing music or laying on the floor.

What are you working on right now?

I just finished a book called Vunce Upon a Time about a vegetarian vampire. And now I’m working on a sequel to the B.B. Wolf book I did with Judy Sierra.

Any advice to the many people who are inspired by you?

Stop the war … everyone’s art will improve once that gets taken care of. Take money out of oil …ride your bike … burn recycled biodiesel … uhm, I sound like an angry hippy. Be nice to everyone…