I would like to set this thread up as a place to discuss the things that inspire you to do, well anything, from write, to speak, or maybe your a trained musician.

Whenever I write anything longer than a few sentences I listen to hip-hop, especially songs with fast rapping, it puts a lot of words, or phrases, in my head that help me when I am trying to find a way to word things.

While I was working on my presentation last night (that I started over at 3 AM and had to present at 10 AM), I was listening to Snow Patrol's new album on repeat.

Usually, though, Muse is my, well... muse of choice (ah, puns weren't intended but it happened anyway). It's the speed that helps me write, because I need something to help keep my momentum going. Granted, I feel like my writing has taken a nosedive off Everest, but oh well... Muse also makes me play my bass more often, as I tend to be listening to a song and go, "Hey, do I have the tabs for this?" So... Muse is my muse.

I do drugs and drink. It's quite inspirational.

As strange as it is whenever I get stuck in something or cant think of what to do I pace up and down whether I am stuck on a puzzle in a game or cant think of what to write next on a piece of work (I only do this at home of course).

A deadline

thats all It takes to inspire me

I smoke pot, especially before studying or doing homework. I have no real reason to think that it actually helps me do these things, but it's become a ritual and now I never do anything important for school without a good bowl.

My inspiration comes in the form of taking three other works and mushing them togethor to make something original.

Its The Matrix meets Night at the Roxbury meets Lawrence of Arabia!

jim_doki:
A deadline

thats all It takes to inspire me

Ditto.

That, and watching a fantastic musician play........Doesn't really matter which, though.

Deadlines are good. Very good. Unfortunately for me they need to be real, not self set deadlines.

Listening to "He's going the distance" or "the final countdown" gets me going; but when there isn't any music around or I start to slack off I just slap my self in the face and scream GO TIME!

PurpleRain. And generally not listening to any music is best, as it'll just distract me.

cigarettes, its nice to take a break from what I am doing, and take a look at it from a different angle. Something about killing myself helps me think.

Um, I have food programmes on in the background normally. It makes me hungry, but I do really good work.

I used to write. Short stories that I would fire off into the vast void of the internet, never to see or read again. Inspiration could come from anything from an awesome cinematic to just standing in line at a bank. Then I sat down one day, to add noise to internet and discovered I couldn't do it anymore.

That's when I turned to amateur trolling.

crimson5pheonix:

xitel:
Um, I have food programmes on in the background normally. It makes me hungry, but I do really good work.

Like a strawberry shortcake screen saver? *Snicker*

No, like Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations.

super_smash_jesus:
cigarettes, its nice to take a break from what I am doing, and take a look at it from a different angle. Something about killing myself helps me think.

I often wonder if I'd be a better writer if I smoked, but my asthmatic lungs won't allow me to find out.

Larenxis:
PurpleRain. And generally not listening to any music is best, as it'll just distract me.

Aww. Actually, to tell you the truth, you were the one that rekindled my love of english once more. Especially after high school killed my carefactor for it. You had me running to the dictionary on many occasions and reassessing how I write/talk. So I guess I'll have to put you down as my biggest motivator for any of my writing.

Jamanticus:

jim_doki:
A deadline

thats all It takes to inspire me

Ditto.

That, and watching a fantastic musician play........Doesn't really matter which, though.

Having a deadline helps for sure. But watching a 'superior' player play is somewhat daunting for me.. 'Holy crap I'll never get anywhere near that.'

When writing songs I usually block out the world to the point when I can hear my guitar/instrument and my thoughts. That's when true 'ideas' come to the surface.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=4smim2MNvF8 Inspired me to play

And this what I want to accomplish http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf5GQhdbrzs

i take all the bad shit that happened in my life and use it..

PurpleRain:

Larenxis:
PurpleRain. And generally not listening to any music is best, as it'll just distract me.

Aww. Actually, to tell you the truth, you were the one that rekindled my love of english once more. Especially after high school killed my carefactor for it. You had me running to the dictionary on many occasions and reassessing how I write/talk. So I guess I'll have to put you down as my biggest motivator for any of my writing.

I have to say that just inspires me to love again.

Anyhoo, i listen to music constantly especially orchestral music from the Romantic Period. Other than that a little bit of Bach never hurt anyone haha :)

One of the things that inspired me was "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead, especially the line "The crackle, of pigskin". That cruel metaphor really had an impact on me.

Fox1789:
i take all the bad shit that happened in my life and use it..

Too many people do this nowadays, I believe.

Whenever I need to write anything, I imagine that I am an esteemed academic (I stop short of impersonations), or whoever fits what I am writing. It sounds stupid, but it works for me.

Google images. And failblog.org.

video games inspired me to get into science.

it never made sense why i don't have a battle cruiser.

there is still plenty of time

I lisen to Pandora Radio(streamed internet radio), on the rage against the matchine channel. Its a nice backround when im typing.

When looking for inspiration it really depends on what I feel like, sometimes I need silence and the chance to collect my thoughts other times I need music to help me concentrate but often I find I don't even need anything, I just start and can't stop, this has been the case for many a school projects.

Escaping the Horrible Yellow Box.
I primarily do this through the mighty force that are called, "Coffee shops."