Hasta La Ideas

Will 2011 be the year you write that novel? Illustrate the would-be children’s book that has been rattling around your brain? Conquer the stack of unread periodicals teetering on your nightstand? Monetize your obsession into a screenplay and/or line of collectible dolls? Get inspired to tackle creative projects with the annual inspiration issue of Poets & Writers magazine, which has just hit newsstands. Following in the footsteps of last year’s cover designer, Chip Kidd (no pressure!), is up and comer Jim Tierney, a junior designer at Penguin. When presented with the broad theme of inspiration, he looked to the stars—and then aligned them. “The stars and astronomy has inspired people forever,” said Tierney in an interview with the magazine’s Kevin Larimer. “At the beginning people had no idea what was going on and they made up fabulous stories and Greek myths and all of this originated in nothing but people drawing lines to connect stars.” There’s also a more personal inspiration behind the colorful cover. “It reminds me of being at home, because I grew up on a farm where you can just look out at the stars for hours over the cornfields and whatnot,” Tierney said. “So that really resonated with me.”

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