Okay, so I wanted to talk about this idea, this “inspiration potion” thing, specifically tied to Genshin Impact. It’s not like there’s an actual item in the game, not that I know of anyway. For me, it was more about how I used the game itself to get my own creative juices flowing again. I’d hit a bit of a wall, you know? Staring at my screen, trying to come up with ideas, and just… nothing. Blank.
So, what did I do? I remembered how much I genuinely enjoy the world of Genshin Impact. Not just playing the quests, but the whole vibe, the scenery, the character designs. I figured, maybe I could actively try to pull some inspiration from it. Felt a bit weird at first, like, “Am I really going to use a game for work inspiration?” But hey, gotta try something, right?
My Process: Hunting for the ‘Potion’
I decided to dedicate some time specifically for this. Didn’t treat it like usual gaming time where I’m focused on daily commissions or resin. Instead, I just started exploring. Like, really exploring.
- I went back to areas I loved visually. Spent a good while just walking around Liyue Harbor, especially at night. The lanterns, the atmosphere, it’s just nice.
- Then I headed over to Mondstadt, looked at the windmills, the architecture. Compared it to Liyue, noticed the different styles.
- Inazuma was next. The contrast there is pretty stark, right? The stormy islands versus the calmer ones. I took a bunch of screenshots, focusing on color palettes and environmental details. The way the Electro effects look, the design of the Torii gates.
- I even just stood still sometimes, listening to the background music in different regions. The soundtracks are honestly top-notch and evoke different feelings.
- Character designs too. I started looking closer at the outfits. Not just the fancy 5-stars, but even the NPCs. How the clothes are layered, the little accessories, the cultural influences they seem to blend.
It wasn’t about finding one single thing. It was more like soaking it all in. Like my brain was slowly sipping this concoction made of visuals, sounds, and lore snippets. That was my “inspiration potion,” I guess. The act of mindfully observing this world I usually just rush through.
Did it Work?
Yeah, actually, it kinda did. It wasn’t instant magic. But after a couple of sessions just doing this, I found myself less stuck. I started doodling again. Not copying Genshin stuff directly, but playing with similar shapes, color combinations I’d seen, or trying to capture a similar feeling in my own style.
For example, the way fabrics drape on some characters, or the mix of nature and structures in places like Qingce Village. Those little things sparked ideas for unrelated projects I was working on. It helped me break out of the rut, loosen up my thinking.
So yeah, that was my experience trying to find an “inspiration potion” in Genshin Impact. Didn’t find a literal bottle, but the process of looking for one? That was the actual potion. Just needed to engage with something beautiful and well-crafted with a different intent. Sometimes you find inspiration in unexpected places, even just wandering around Teyvat with your eyes open.
