How To Find Inspiration: 7 Tips That Work For Me

Do you ever feel ‘stuck’ in your creative process. I sure do – all the time! I am sharing 7 tips that work for me when this happens. Come see how to find inspiration … even when you think you can not!

Today was just “one of those days!” You know, the kind of day when the creative juices just are NOT flowing. I sat down to write a blog post to share today – and I just couldn’t come up with anything! Nothing! Zero! Zilch! Notta!

Now, I do have a long working list of blog topics that I want to write about in the back of my planner – but I just couldn’t ‘get the ball rolling on any of them today! I didn’t WANT to write about any of those topics today! Has that ever happened to you (maybe not with a blog, but in another area)?

This actually has happened to me in so many areas of life – decorating, photos for Facebook, stories for Instagram, etc …. Even though I am a creative person there are just ‘those days’ that seem to stump me. And, when this does happen, I have a few tricks that usually help! Today I am sharing how to find inspiration – when you are feeling ‘stumped.’

NOTE: I run and operate a little vintage business that includes an antique booth, this blog, and creating content for social media. These tips below that I am sharing are all things that help me when I am feeling stuck in my vintage business. (So, I will be referencing ‘vintage’ below.) My hope is that these same ideas can help YOU in the areas of your life – whenever YOU feel stuck!

Go Outside

I love being outside. Nature is filled with so many beautiful and inspiring things. From the sound of the birds singing to the smell of fresh green grass – being outside really can calm my brain and can unintentionally spark amazing ideas. There is just something magical about ‘slowing down’ and just ‘being’ in the moment. Especially in this high tech world that we all live in now!

Sitting outside, with the warm sun on my face, in the peace and quiet, is one of the very best feelings for me. Nature fills my tank and usually helps me to focus in on what I need to do.

And, if it is too cold outside, I usually just sit beside a window and spend time looking outside. That works too!

Sit Down With A Great Magazine

I am a very visual person and sometimes just sitting down with a good magazine (or book … but mainly magazines for me) will help to get my creative juices flowing again. The visual cues are so helpful! Here is a little secret though – I have a stack (or 10) of old magazines. I am talking … several years old! I enjoy comparing the trends from long ago to the trends that are happening now. I also love to see what I am drawn to from the past! And – there is just something special about turning the paper pages.

Scroll The Web

Even though I really like paper pages, often times, I will turn to the internet for inspiration as well. It is so easy to hop onto Instagram or Facebook or Pinterest or Google. There is so much great content out there on the internet! One thing though, we all have to be careful NOT to fall into the comparison trap! That can be easy to do – especially online. People usually only share the very best – and it is easy to compare yourself when scrolling for inspiration. Also, it is important to remember that when you get inspired by someone else’s work online, you can not just COPY it. But, having the opportunity to gain inspiration from someone else’s work is a complete blessing.

Talk It Out

I can not stress this one enough. I have come up with some of the very best ideas just ‘talking it through’ with good friends or family. Whether it is over the phone or over a cup of coffee, there is something great that happens when you can share ideas out loud and then get feedback – in real time! I can not tell you how easy it can be for a teeny tiny idea to just snowball as you are chatting about it with someone you trust! I chat with my friends and my husband and my parents and even my kids sometimes. These are the people that want me to succeed and they are brilliant and filled with good ideas! I always count my blessings for their help!

Surround Yourself With Things You Love

This is probably the tip that works best for me. When I can see and touch and feel things that inspire me, then I usually get flooded with ideas. There is nothing that can beat HOLDING the objects that spark creativity. For me in my antique and vintage business, I can accomplish this in a few ways. I can simply step outside into my garage (which is packed by the way) and begin digging around for items. I love to do that. Whether it is an old piece of pottery that inspires a vignette or an old newspaper article that inspires a blog post – I can usually get ‘unstuck’ in the garage. I also get inspired by going to antique malls and vintage markets and estate sales and even other people’s homes. It is amazing how just ‘seeing’ and ‘touching’ and ‘holding’ things in real life can really inspire me.

Set The Clock

There have been times that I have been super creative – because I was pushed! I will set a timer on the microwave or on my phone and then I will push myself to complete the task within that timeframe. I have found that oftentimes unlimited time can be hard for me to balance and since I am a ‘one-man-band’ (aka: self employed), I sometimes need to give myself time limits to complete tasks. That little push does help me for sure!

Music Can Be Your Friend

As you may know, I have a degree in music education and music therapy. During my studies I learned about the positive effects that music can have on your ability to focus. Listening to classical music has helped me to focus on a task many times. There are even studies that support this theory. You can read about the Mozart Effect here!

While classical music is great for so many reason and is usually my ‘go-to,’ I do also love a good playlist for inspiration (click here for my favorite one).

Wrap Up

Whether you are an artist or a musician or a writer – or just doing something that requires some creativity – you will inevitably be faced with the feeling of being ‘stuck’ at some point. It happens to me often! It can be hard to know just how to find inspiration when it happens, but I hope my tips will help you! Cheers to letting those creative juices FLOW!