LifeDev

Photo by *betenoir*

Looking at the same boring things everyday can really stifle imagination and ultimately turn your brain into lifeless mush. (Well, it’s not that bad, but close.) Fortunately, the internet can help with this dilemma. By checking out sites that promote creativity, you can counteract the effects of having to look at the same boring things every day and get those brain juices pumping again.

The beauty of creativity is that random things can trigger it, without it making sense. Looking at creative things can stimulate more creativity. Here are some sites that I’ve found that spark my own creativity, with the aide of art, music, or information. You may not view these sites as creativity boosters at first blush, but they can really help inspire in times of need.

• Muxtape - Oh baby. It’s becoming less and less obscure, but this little website allows people to upload up to 12 songs, creating a digital mix mux tape. However, the real beauty is that the homepage of Muxtaple.com features random muxtapes. And they tend to be just eclectic and awesome. So many genres, so many different artists… you can’t help but feel a little inspired when perusing the muxtapes on the homepage. For example, I’m listening to a great blend of music on this muxtape as I write this post.For a little added bonus for Mac users, there’s a way to view the muxtapes in coverflow fashion.
  
• Quotations Book - Quotations Book is the most polished-looking quote site I’ve found, and even has
  a dashboard widget to boot. I find that looking at quotes from people much smarter than me is a great way to think creatively. Tapping into wisdom is a great way to evaluate ideas, and also gives inspiration. I’ve written whole posts based on being inspired by a single quote.
• Flickr Interesting - Great photography is a perfect place to find some inspiration for ideas. Fortunately, Flickr’s editors have taken care of digging through massive amounts of photos to showcase some of the best
  images.
• neat-o-rama - Neat-o-rama finds some of the most interesting links from around the web.
  You won’t find anything practical here. For example, one of today’s posts is about
  an Orangutan that spear fishes. Hrm.
• logopond - You might think that corporate logos may not seem that interesting or inspiring. And you’d quickly change your mind after visiting logopond. They feature some of the most beautiful and inspiring logos that will simply blow your mind. A great stop for any designer looking for some inspiration.
• Del.icio.us Interesting Tag - Popular bookmarking site Del.icio.us is a great place to find inspiring content, and a great place to look is the interesting page. The Popular page is great for interesting finds as
  well.
• 43 Things - Reading about other people’s goals and aspirations is an incredible creativity booster. Seeing what other people aspire to do and how they’re working towards them really helps define your own goals and dreams.
• Damn Interesting - The name says it all. This site is much like Neat-o-rama, except it tends to focus more on historical bits of interesting, as opposed to interesting news.
• Behance - A great online magazine about how artists, musicians and entrepreneurs use creativity in their work. Incredibly well written, the Behance guys know just how to fuse creativity with productivity. (They’re also a member of LifeRemix, the blog network I co-founded.)
• Wikipedia Random Article - If you’re looking for something interesting in a pinch, look no further than Wikipedia’s random link. Each time the link is clicked, a random Wikipedia article pops up. Incredibly
  interesting, and fun to use.
• Post Secret - Slightly more bizarre than the other mentioned sites, Post Secret allows people to anonymously mail their secrets on a homemade postcard, which are then posted to the site. For some reason seeing homemade material really brings out the creative side in me. Which brings me nicely
  to the next site…
• Etsy - Etsy is a site that features homemade crafts. You can find just about anything here, but I recommend looking at the gift guides for the really inspiring stuff. Need a Zune
  sweater? How about dolls of the members of the Ramones circa 1977? Creativity at it’s crafty
  finest.
• WebUrbanist - WebUrbanist is a great little blog that showcases some of the most interesting articles about urban art, architecture, and anything interesting about urban culture. Here’s an article that might inspire
  you: 7 abandon wonders of the former Soviet Union.
• Webupon - If you’re looking for interesting but helpful news around the web, Webupon is a great resource. A lot of great how-to guides and news for generating ideas.
• NPR’s “Day to Day” Show - Ok, NPR is not that obscure. But the “Day to Day” show is an incredible way to find interesting tidbits from society. For example, Friday’s show featured a San Francisco bar who was just certified as a green business. Each of the drinks is made from all sorts of organic ingredients.
  How can that not inspire?!
• FFFFound - Aside from having an odd name, FFFFound showcases some of the best photography and artwork from around the web. The site is similar to Flickr Interesting, but isn’t limited to just the Flickr site.
• Del.icio.us Popular: Creativity and Inspiration - Last but certainly not least, the Del.icio.us popular pages for inspiration and creativity are great resources for finding stories that have been recently inspiring other people and yielding creativity. Using crowdsourcing to find creativity-igniting content is always a great idea. If it’s inspiring to other people, odds are it will inspire you too.