looking for the creative spark

Ive never really had that problem before. I live and breath level design.

Don't map. Find refs that you would enjoy mapping then map, take a long break.

The only times I get tired of mapping is when I force myself to do it, when you're halfway through a project you're passionate about its usually not hard to finish. Getting there for me is the hardest part.

Play games, look at other peoples art work / maps. Also looking at Frank Lloyd Wright's stuff has always inspired me~

I've stopped working on private stuff at home since I started work. I just don't have the time or care that much. If I'm at the office until 8 or 9, I just want to come home, watch some TV, and sleep. I get my creativity out at work. I don't really consider it a bad thing. I like having the separation. It gives me more time to do other things like photography, writing, reading, etc.

I hate mapping D:

I get very very bored very very quickly, like, lay out the foundations, start detailing things and bam, bored to death of it and I go model something.

When I used to be bothered to map, I always found watching TV/movies that took place where you were thinking of making a map worked well, as did playing some games and checking out other people's stuff and taking inspiration from it, or even just getting egged on by someone doing something better than you

Really tried doing it in my spare time a while after I started doing it for a living, but I always felt kind of bad about doing it since I felt I should rather use my energy and ideas to make my stuff at work even better.

That and the fact that it messed with my mind when I worked with a different set of tools each place which would in turn would affect small things in my work flow.

I doubt many people can keep up the same level of quality (Unless that level is shit ) doing it pretty much nonstop while you're awake, and still enjoy it.

But hey, might just be me

As for inspiration overall, play and watch a lot of games and movies

A lot of people are mentally tired when they get home from their daytime job, and thus may find it harder to get work done in such state, you might be in a similar condition. Try to pause work on your level until like a saturday or sunday, and then start on it in the morning when youre still fresh and normally it should go a lot better and the ideas should flow out easily.

The longer you do level design the easier it will go. Long ago I too had issues working on something if I already worked on it for like 8 hours and I often lost my concentration and imagination after a few hours of work but the longer Im doing this the easier it gets. These days I never get mentally tired anymore, I never loose imagination and I can easily work on a number of completely different levels for hours non stop.

Im currently working for 3 commercial projects at the same time plus a personal level and other smaller personal projects. I often design levels for 14 hours or more a day, 7 days a week and I dont notice any sort of fatigue or slowdown anymore. It comes by time.

My inspiritation comes from what I want. I almost never start with an idea but rather with a need. I make a pineforest level because for example it might be easy to do or fit the theme. I dont start a pineforest because I want to make a pineforest, no I start it because I only have 2 weeks time or because I want a scary level. Big difference in working order.

The actual thing is kind of irrelevant to me, anything can be cool if you execute it well but the problem is, will you be able to? That potential is most important for me, what can I do best with the given things?

A good first design will prevent you from getting stuck on an empty bsp layout or even just a paper sketch. Design in function of. Design something that you know you can do, you know you have experience with, you have a clear idea of how it will look, you have plenty of references of you can look back at and so on. Dont start on anything if you dont have those things or you might get stuck even more and getting stuck can be incredibly demotivating. Avalanche effect.

I feel the same like Mazy and Fletch. If I was doing more level design in my freetime I would feel unmotivated and burnt out at work. So I rather recreate in my spare time, get my head clear and put my creative energy into the projects at work.

Hourences doesn't count. He's a cyborg.

I find it near enough impossible to want to do more level design in my spare time, and hell, I've only been working 7 months It's a shame, as there are things I'd like to make that my work doesn't allow for, but when I get in from work I just wanna chill with some mates, watch a movie, or play some games. I find opening up hammer to do some side projects very low on my priority list.

I find it quite inspiring browsing CG art forums like Sijun (speedmodel thread <3). People there do crazy stuff.

However the (my?) biggest task is staying focused...

99% of my "spark" is right here, baby

http://www.google.com/images

If you wan't to work with game development also in your sparetime, then you should maybe try out another area? Personally I am not able to do any proper level design either after doing that all day at the job. I do however still love game development, now I just focus more on e.g. programming, which works out fine.

watch movies / tv shows

you'll be surprised

If you have the time then play some games. Work of others can be well inspiring, or simply the challenge to imitate or do better is often motivation enough for me.

Coffee and good music sometimes does it too

Quote from FrieChamp

Coffee and good music sometimes does it too

Yup! That's the stuff you need.

Another really handy thing is sleeping:D. Before I fall asleep lots of ideas are coming to my mind. You just have to think enough about your current project before (this way you can raise the chance of dreaming about it).

With me, even if I don't feel like it - I just start up hammer and work on something. After that, it's hard to stop.

Somtimes all you need to do is start.

Quote from FrieChamp

Coffee and good music sometimes does it too

that works on me too

I haven't opened a single program for a little week now I guess I'm hated at Insurgency but I start to feel more motivated. So therefor I'm gonna wait a bit more then I'll be stoked on working again, which would probably speed it up.

Also watching cool things, movies, photos etc. often makes me want to model and such.