Are you struggling to find writing inspiration?
Many of us feel like we’re severely lacking in the creativity department, especially when it comes to writing. The truth is that inspiration—and making it last—is a skill that can be learned, which will make your blog even more amazing. It just takes the right tools and approach.
1. Keep a specific book of notes
Keep a notebook on hand for when you’re feeling uninspired or bored. When something catches your eye or makes you think of a new project idea, write it down so that later on you can go back and look at it as inspiration. This could be something as simple as calling someone up or taking some photos at an event; it doesn’t have to be anything formal or grandiose.
The point is that by keeping track of these little things throughout your day, you’ll have something to refer back to when you’re stuck on what to do next. I often do this on my iPhone through the notes app and either voice record or type what inspires me in the moment.
2. Find out what inspires people you admire
The most obvious way to get inspired is to look at people who are already doing what you want to do. If you’re an aspiring writer, read books by authors whose work is similar to yours. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, study successful entrepreneurs and try to understand what makes them tick.
3. Read as much as you can, from different genres and subjects
The more you read, the more likely you are to come across something that inspires you. Plus reading teaches us about other cultures and periods in history—which can lead us to new ideas for our own work.
4. Writing inspiration comes from writing about the things that inspire you
In my experience, writing is the best way to tap into your creative side and free yourself up to explore new ideas. The more you write, the better you get at it.
It’s like anything else—if you practice enough, eventually you’ll start getting better results. And there’s no right or wrong way to do it either! You can write about anything from your favorite band’s latest album all the way down to what happened at work yesterday afternoon. The point is: just write!
5. Don’t just wait for writing inspiration to hit you—go looking for inspiration in everyday life
Inspiration is all around us and we’re too busy to notice it most of the time. Look at art, listen to music, travel, read books, and blogs or go see movies or plays—and then let those experiences inspire creativity in your own life.
6. Make sure you give yourself the chance to be inspired by regularly taking time out and doing something that makes you happy
It doesn’t have to be a big thing; just a walk outside or spending 10 minutes reading a book will do wonders for your creativity. If you’re not doing something that makes you happy, it’s going to be hard for you to get inspired by anything else.
Takeaway
The best way to make writing inspiration stick is to be proactive about it. Learn how to make the most of your inspirations when they happen, so that you can get down and work on your creative work before it vanishes.
And, by all means, don’t let inspiration itself stop you. You’ll always have options on how to take a nugget and develop it into something more substantial—often many more than you realize at first.
Of course, if writing inspiration isn’t happening for you, that can be OK too; just know that there are plenty of other ways you can find your next big idea.