We love asking the folks that inspire and excite us about what inspires and excites them. Check out their responses below.

Lito Velasco

Generally, I suppose you could say I’m inspired by the same things that I think inspire many other artists, including but not limited to: past history and current events, other artists and their works, love, people, family, etc. If I had to pick what most inspired me, I’d say it’s usually a combination of my emotions and feelings and the needs of the project itself. Since I’m usually scoring for a film or a work that will be viewed, I start with the story itself. How does the subject matter make me, as a viewer, feel? How does it move me? What sort of feelings and thoughts does it conjure within? Do those emotions match the response intended and desired by the filmmakers? Can I use those emotions to help evoke a musical work that will “do its job” and help tell the tale in a manner best for the project? Basically, do my feelings match the needs of the story that is trying to be told? Read more>>

Omobolanle Adesiyan

I’m inspired by people who are passionate about what they do and keep pushing boundaries, even when things get tough. Nature and art also inspire me—there’s so much beauty and creativity in the world that reminds me to stay curious. Read more>>

Kelsey And Aurora | Holistic Birth and Postpartum Doulas

We feel most in flow and inspired when working with and collaborating with other women on our team and in the birth community. We believe in the power of the village, and we recognize the profound impact it has on the community when women work in harmony to support other women. Women supporting women is the foundation for better birth and postpartum outcomes; it’s woven into our DNA. Read more>>

Andrew Tamarkin | Actor, Writer, & Producer

I am inspired by vulnerability and specificity. Whether it’s caught on camera, performed on stage, or I see it in real life, I am touched when people (especially artists) are brave enough to show who they are in spite of their fears, to go after goals no matter what stands in their way. Read more>>

Yunqi Hao | Writer&Filmmaker

I am often inspired by strong emotions, such as pain, passion, excitement, and being moved. For me, what I most want to convey and express is always emotions rather than specific events. For me, this is a also form of truth. Read more>> 

Sheila Galmat | Art Director and Illustrator

I think that to me, everything that my life is, is so much inspire. I mean, the weather, the people, the colours, but above all the moments that makes me feel something.

I think that I’m a very sensitive person, that my center is about the emotion in my life, happines, angry, sadness, melancoly. And talking about melancoly it’s the queen of my emotion, for me is the motor of my art, about my inner child and my adult life. Read more>>

Ayla Kasimova | Visual Development Artist & Character Designer

I am an Azerbaijani artist, born in a creative family. From a young age, I was surrounded by the art and richness of my culture. I was fascinated by everything from the patterns on traditional carpets and frescoes to the bright colours in the works of local artists. But the folklore and fairy tales of Azerbaijan have always captivated me.
My works are my reflection and vision of these old stories. I draw inspiration from ancient tales – stories of heroes and mythical creatures. The magic in these narratives ignites something inside me, inspiring me to transfer it in shapes and colours to canvas. Read more>>

Sarah Moriarty | Artist

My creativity and art are deeply inspired by the ocean, especially here on the east coast, where I live in a small seaside community. There’s a quiet beauty in the slow coastal lifestyle that surrounds me, where life moves at its own pace. It’s easy to see the beauty here from the soft shimmer of sunlight on the water, the way the tide slowly pulls back to reveal a more rugged ocean floor or watching the waves crash and spray off the coastline . These details, inspire me to paint. Beauty often lies in the simplest, little moments. No matter what mood I’m in, I can always feel the ocean’s ebb and flow The ocean’s energy has a way of guiding my creativity, reminding me that both quiet reflection and powerful expressions are essential in art. Read more>>