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Do
you Know Where Your Inspiration Is?
by
Crystal Narramore, CBA
Have you ever flipped through a magazine in
awe and thought, "Wow, that is so creative? How did they think
of that?" Or walked by a creative window display and turned
back for a second look? There is something catching your eye. What
is it? It's your inspiration talking!!
Do you know where your inspiration is? It's
probably closer than you think! Inspiration is a lifestyle, not
just limited to your balloon business. But it's up to you to discover
and tap into your own inspiration. Inspiration can come from inside
the industry, but I think it's even better when it comes from other
sources. Inspiration is not just for your balloon creations, but
your creative marketing strategies as well.
I find inspiration in many facets of my life.
Whether it's home decorating, child raising, relationship building
or gift giving, my inspiration arrives in much the same way. Would
you know inspiration if it gently tapped you on the shoulder? You
need to know how it feels when it touches you in order to recognize
it. Inspiration feels like intuition. My mother had great intuition.
She instinctively knew what was going on around her. It's a feeling.
For it to be effective, you have to learn to trust it.
As a balloon artist, you're always looking
for your inspiration from within the balloon industry. This is a
great way to learn tried and true methods that work. There are so
many resources available to inspire us. Publications like Images
Magazine, Balloons & Parties and Party & Paper Retailer
are just a few of the great resources.
Other sources of inspiration can be found
online. If you have web access, you'll want to bookmark BalloonHQ.com,
ConwinOnline.com, and Qualatex.com. These sites store a wealth of
online inspiration in the form of pictures, step-by-step instructions,
product information and much more.
Another great source is the International
Balloon Arts Convention (IBAC). IBAC is known for it's outstanding
educational classes, but if offers so many other inspirational opportunities.
From evening party decorations to endless networking possibilities,
IBAC is the premier educational event in our industry.
Another artist's work can be the source of
your inspiration. I don't ever want to copy what someone else has
done and call it mine, but it could be a springboard to something
else I do. Sometimes it is bad work that inspires me. I am careful
to analyze what's distracting or unpleasant about the work and then
figure out how I would do it differently.
Some of my greatest inspirations have come
from my accidents. Maybe I forgot to pack a certain supply or the
room I was decorating was different than I had anticipated. I'm
forced to be creative with what I have on hand. I remember one poor
cake decorator that stepped on the brakes too hard and arrived at
the reception site with a hole in the side of her cake. I had a
little extra fern and a lot of balloons and we balanced a few balloon
clusters on opposite sides of the cake and it looked like it was
intended to be that way. I tied it all together with a simple string-of-pearl
arch over the cake table and it made a great picture in my portfolio.
To really develop your own personal style,
do more research & development. Without the R&D you can
only copy the ideas of others. Work on developing what comes naturally.
Don't use all your energy trying to create something you are not
inspired to create. Some people are stronger than others in some
areas. I'm always impressed at how Linda Bruce started with a simple
cluster of 5" balloons and created a beautiful wedding topiary
ball arrangement (see Images May/June 1997, p.17 ) She would add
udder to make it a cow, add a 5" balloon nose for a lamb (Images
M/J 97) add legs for a spider, add a 260Q for reindeer antlers or
curl them to make a great Santa (Images S/O 99 p.28). It should
be called a crystal ball instead of a topiary ball because of all
the things she sees in it!
Inspiration from outside the balloon industry
is what causes you to grow. This is your greatest chance to uncover
big potential and be different from your competition. I never pass
by a store window without looking for something that inspires me.
When a store window really catches my eye, I stop and ask myself,
"What is it about this window that appeals to me?" It
may be the great use of color or texture. It may be the placement
of the product. It may be the sheer simplicity of the window. But
I try to pinpoint what it was that caught my eye. Once I know, it
becomes my inspiration. It is my "spark" to a new creation.
The same principle is true when I'm looking at a magazine. When
an ad catches my eye I analyze what caused me to stop and look twice,
and how I can use this element of creativity in my industry.
Millions of dollars are invested by major
corporations in marketing their products. What is the method to
their madness? What can you glean from them to inspire your next
marketing campaign? Why does McDonald's give their premier hamburger
a great name like the Big Mac or the Quarter Pounder? Because it
sells a higher priced hamburger. Have you named your balloon bouquets
or are you still selling "6 latex and 1 foil?" At Burger
King they promise to "do it your way." They've invested
a lot of money in marketing to their customers the promise of personalization.
Do you personalize your balloon bouquets? With the investment of
a few paint pens, a custom imprinted balloon order, or a ribbon
imprinter, it is easy to offer to "do it your way" for
your customer.
As you become aware of how it feels to hear
your inspiration talking, you'll find ideas everywhere! Make a plan
to organize your inspirations for future use. Clip magazine pictures
and file them under headings like, Color, Architecture, Floral Design,
Weddings, Holidays, etc. Digital cameras have become affordable
enough for every business to own one. Take your digital camera everywhere
and take quick snapshots of your inspirations.
A couple final thoughts about inspiration...
Inspiration is my motivation. When I feel inspired, I have new energy
to experiment and try something new. But working too hard kills
my inspiration. When I am the busiest, the little voice of my inspiration
is drowned out. I need quiet, relaxing moments to hear it. Inspiration
is a lifestyle, you'll find it in bits and pieces. It's in the colors,
textures, and patterns that attract your eye. Learn what it feels
like and embrace it. Then the next time you walk by a store window
that calls your name, don't ignore it...go back, sketch it out in
your mind, make note of the color, the textures, the line and rhythm
of the window. Get a feel for it. Listen...it's your inspiration
talking!
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