ever get a really great idea to make something, but don't know how to start it and/or can't find what you need?
anybody have tips for working around that?

i always get that! Usually then i listen to music or watch youtube videos for a while to spark an idea

I usually go do something else. Or browse other websites to get a few ideas.

the more i browse, the worse it gets.
i know what to do if i have an exact vision. for what i'm planning, i have a general idea and feel, but nothing to go off of.

Hm, I've had times when I had a vision of the way I wanted something, but once I started working on it it went in a different direction. Kinda off topic, but I hate it when I browse Livejournal and see something that looks really pretty so I click on the tutorial and it isn't translatable to Paint Shop Pro (damn you, selective coloring!)

Same here! But sometimes when I browse through things, I get more ideas that don't really go with my vision so I start anther graphic which is why I have like 123546 unfinished graphics.

What if you try taking a break & see if you get some ideas that way?

i've sort of had designer's block since octoberish, so i took a long two month break. then i started messing around on photoshop last week and decided i'm done with the break. i do have a project right now, though (that organization's website), and it'll be a breeze, so maybe it will help. :]

Hmm usually when I know what I want to do but don't know how to start it I look at different tutorials that are sorta similar to what I want to do.

If not that I usually just look at pictures of things on photobucket or search for textures and what not.

I get stuck when Flash gets stupid.
Gah. A link that worked five minutes ago will suddenly cease to function... when I did nothing. Annoying.