looking for the creative spark

[MJ]

watch movies / tv shows

you'll be surprised

[FrieChamp]

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

[Psyshokiller]

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).

[mabufo]

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.

[KoKo5oVaR]

Coffee and good music sometimes does it too

that works on me too

[Pericolos0]

How about [[illegal substance]]

[st0lve]

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.

[mjens]

I usualy go for a walk (I just moved into new place so I dont know the hood ) and watch for sometching nicely done in architecture or I go to backery, buy some donuts, go to home and draw ideas and visions while drinking mountain dew

when I was working as a level designer I had the same problem as you have but I even don't try to make something - I just sit and relax or go somewhere...

[blackdahlia]

watch some movies, or even a travel show, those are my favorite, you see a lot of different architechture and landscapes.

[Quakis]

Variety helps, and so does music and drink. I find coffee to be bad when you want to map, since you'll eventually feel quite down and out of it getting bored. Happened to me a lot of the time. But if you add a lot of variety you'll feel inspired and ready to work.

What exactly do I mean though? I don't stick to mapping, when I feel I can't do anything or start anything I don't bother since forcing yourself will not help you at all. Do something else, or walk around a bit, get fresh air, relax or try another day. Drink plenty of water or juice (nothing fizzy) can help a lot since you're energising you're body with to good stuff, and make sure you eat a decent meal. These things help your daily lifes more, so it will work here as well.

Time how long you map and take breaks. Map every hour or so then walk around a bit, refresh the mind or browse the internet a bit. When you run out of inspiration but have the ideas, save and close down the editor, grab some paper and take notes / sketch idea out and leave it next to the computer and do something else.

Variety again, don't just map. Try doing different things. I've been getting involved with mapping, texturing and modelling and improve my skills on each and they're now a state I can do at least something usable and improve from experience. Try out editors for other games, for fun purposes and ideas might inspire you.

Looking at other peoples work might be good or bad depending on who you are though. It may give you ideas and inspiration but it may also make you want to copy or imitate what they do which ends up being something you make being too similar or close as.

Another idea is to have custom content when you get good at new skills (unless you already are) but a good idea that works for me is to make what you need when you need it. No point working on 100 textures, forcing you to use them in the map. Again it depends on who you are to work this way, great for me, bad for others?

Experimenting is also good. Try making maps of a different gameplay style such as deathmatch, co-op or even singleplayer if you're a deathmatch mapper. Try different themes you've never done before or try to improve your styles. Experiment with new ways to use textures or models from the default libraries to get inspiration. Why not try mixing two or three different themes together? Why not try to re-use a gameplay idea and improve on it, or mix it with another style.

One optional idea for fun purposes, practise and inspiration is to find a random user map for a game (Half Life 1?) and make sure it's a newbie or poorly executed map but the idea comes across well and remake it with better design and improve its gameplay in the game you want to map for. Before you know it, you'll have something that doesn't resemble it and work you're way to change it that way.

Just a few ideas that have worked for me, working on weekends helps too, but don't map when you're tired either. Not worth it and you'll get bored of things too quickly.