[adam]

For me, inspiration comes from a few different directions (besides LSD).

1) I personally have to reduce all pleasant time-killers in my life as much as possible. Little to no TV, etc. This works wonders: an example being last Friday. Last Friday I got off work, and really, really, didn't want to work on music. I was in kind of a bad mood, and had been thinking about playing World of Warcraft again. Instead, I forced myself to work on music, and ended up coming up with something I really liked, which also lifted my bad mood. If I had started WoW again, I would have used the bad mood as an excuse for its escapism, turned it on, and, yes, probably have enjoyed myself (that's the whole appeal, innit?) but not anywhere close to level of satisfaction I achieved by forcing myself to be productive and subsequently making something I really liked. Also, it answered the question of whether or not I should start playing WoW again in a very clear manner.

2) If you absolutely can't work, try doing nothing instead of something else. That is, if you feel you can't come up with something, but you want to try, instead of giving in to your frustration and, say, making plans with friends, try just going for a walk or something. For me, it's going to the beach with a cup of tea and my ipod. That'll lift almost any bad mood and make me want to run back to my place and get to work.

3) Try working under different circumstances. Try working when you're really tired, or right when you get up in the morning. Change the circumstances under which you try and write. Try more caffeine. Try less caffeine. David Lynch, for years, was convinced that sugar was the most important fuel in the world: in a sugar rush, he was a creative whirlwind. Shouldn't cause problems with the drug test, either. Prefuse 73 feels the same about coffee.

4) If I have to resort to distraction, I have plenty of ones that I find inspirational, too. I can watch Blade Runner over and over, and that makes me want to work. Or some art books, I'll flip through my Escher book or a book I have on architecture. Try reading some art history, too; that can be hugely inspirational. Some fiction works for me, too: Salman Rushdie makes me want to create. John Zorn said he would practice for shows by watching cartoons.

5) Try and focus on process instead of product. I used to try and compose finished peices, which was perpetually unsatisfying. Now I just try and come up with 1-2 minute sketches, and I'm accumulating stuff like that faster than I know what to do with. This is crucial, because it's made the creative process rewarding, rather than punishing.

6) LSD.