It’s happened to us all. You sit down to write a blog, website content, or a chapter in your book and the minute your fingers hit the keyboard, your mind goes blank. You got nothing! Inspiration is nowhere to be found!
Lack of inspiration can be caused by something as simple to fix as your physical environment. It can also be affected by something more challenging like your mindset and psychology.
Regardless of the cause of your dip in inspiration, have no fear! There are simple ways to get your writing mojo back, your fingers moving, and your creative inspiration flowing again. Here are a few tips to get you going.
Change Your Environment
Many times when I find myself stuck and inspiration no where to be found, changing my environment in little ways can do amazing things for my creativity.
- Tidy Up: I am not a neat freak by any means. However, I have found that when my environment is messy and chaotic, I can’t think straight. I also find that when I am trying to work or concentrate in any way, a messy area can make me irritable and unable to focus. Sometimes all it takes to correct this for me is a quick straightening up of my desk area. Other times, I need to clean the entire house and do laundry before I feel a sense of brain freedom then I can actually get some work done. Every person and situation is different. Try tidying up next time you find yourself having problems with concentration and motivation. I am sure it will help you too. Sometimes the act of doing something easy and rewarding, like cleaning up, helps to release tension. That release of tension then seems to help create more focus.
- Light A Scented Candle: I am very sensitive to scents and different ones evoke different emotions for me. I love things that smell clean and fresh. I’ve figured out that burning a pleasant smelling candle helps me to concentrate and feel relaxed. When I was in college studying for my Bachelors degree, I always had a scented candle in my study area just for that task. My favorite scent was Yankee Candles’ Sage and Citrus. This candle always seemed to provide the right balance of mental energy and physical relaxation at the same time. My brain was aware and my body was happy to sit still and concentrate. When I wanted to relax at night while reading or winding down from a busy day, Yankee Candles’ Midsummer’s Night was my go-to scent. Find a scent that makes you feel focused and motivated and give it a try.
- Play Some Music: I have always been a music person and have a love of music that spans from classical to Top 40 so this is one that I find really helps change my state to something positive when I am needing inspiration. Very often when we are lacking inspiration and motivation it is because our physical and mental states need something to jostle them into one more positive and uplifting. There’s a reason they use music in movies. Through music you can change your emotions instantly. As for types of music, everyone is different. For me, when I am trying to write I usually can’t listen to something with lyrics because then I concentrate more on singing along than getting my work done. I also can’t listen to classical guitar music when I am trying to write because as a classically trained guitarist, I start to concentrate more on the music and how it’s played than my work. I do, however, find music like Buddha Groove Chill music as well as Ambient and dance music quite good for motivation and getting things done.
- Move To Different Space: Sometimes, no matter what you try you just can’t get inspired to create content and that’s when I pull out the big guns. Usually, if I’ve done some or all of the above I am a newly refreshed person who is unstoppable However, sometimes it’s just not enough. Maybe I’ve been in the house too long and need to get out for a bit or I am in a frump and need a change of scenery to break the foul mood. Whatever the cause sometimes I just need to be in another space for a bit. Many times I can set up in another room in the house and that’s all it takes but sometimes I need complete change in every sensory way and that’s when I venture out for a bit. Many times a quick run to Starbucks or the supermarket for a treat will fix it and I am back in business. Other times I pack up my laptop and head to a cafe or even the local library where they have free internet, and set up my office for a few hours while I people watch at the same time as I work. I have also been known to set up my office outside in the backyard or even in a park, if I don’t need internet at that moment. Experiment and find what works for you. Usually a lack of inspiration is due to needing a break from the usual so break it up a bit and just see what happens.
Get Some Rest
Often when I lose my motivation for writing or creating in general, it’s because I am tired either physically or emotionally. Taking a break and letting your body and mind rest and rejuvenate can turn things completely around.
- Get A Good Night’s Sleep: Lack of sleep has been proven to cause depression, lack of motivation, cognitive decline, and general foul mood. I cannot emphasize the role that getting a solid night’s sleep can have on creative inspiration and motivation in general. Making a great effort to get a full night’s rest can cure any lack of inspiration in a flash. If you are having trouble sleeping, there a plenty of apps and sleeping aids that can help you achieve some rest. I prefer to use only natural means for sleep, among them are Melatonin supplements, reading before bed, a hot bath before bed, listening to soothing music, eating a banana and a glass of almond or coconut milk (you’d be surprised how well this works!) and having a good laugh with my significant other. Find what works for you and get the rest your body and brain needs.
- Take A Nap: I am a huge fan of naps. There have been many times where a quick hour nap has saved me from being ineffective, grumpy, and just plain not fun to be around. You may think you don’t have time for a nap but sometimes that quick respite can rescue your entire day and bring back the inspiration and motivation you need to achieve your goals.
- Go For A Walk Outside: A quick walk around the block and some fresh air has been known to change my attitude and motivation level. If you couple this walk with listening to some music or a podcast, you can double or triple the effect not to mention the fact that you get some exercise too which is always a great thing.
- Watch TV: This one is a dangerous one because it’s too easy to turn watching a quick show into a binge watching session that lasts all day. However, sometimes when we’ve been focusing too much on what needs to be done we mentally tire ourselves out which causes us to lose motivation and inspiration. A quick break to watch a show or two can break us from reality for a little bit and let our brains relax and recharge. I do this one occasionally but I have to time myself and be strict with it or I could find myself lingering on the couch for way too long. Use with caution.
- Read: Reading is along the same lines as watching TV in that it gives the brain a chance to take a break from reality and go somewhere else for a bit. This one, too, can be dangerous if you’re an avid reader like I am so be cautious. I usually prefer to leave this one as a reward for after I’ve accomplished some daily goals because stopping to return to work can be difficult for me.
- Meditate: Meditating for even five minutes can make a huge difference in your productivity and ability to find inspiration. Whether you just sit quietly with your eyes closed or you use an app to help you, the affect can be quite helpful and refreshing.
Feed Your Body
When I am hungry or haven’t been eating well nutritionally, it shows up big time as grumpiness, lack of motivation, no creativity, and basically a brain that refuses to function at high capacity. Making yourself a good nutrition meal or snack can change that unmotivated state to a energized one literally in a matter of minutes.
Also, don’t forget to stay hydrated with go old H2O, a.k.a water, because a dehydrated body is a body that is tired and a mind that is fuzzy. So, when you’re having a hard time getting motivated and finding inspiration, make sure you’re taking care of your body first. It can’t change everything!
Brainstorm
One of the best methods to use when looking for inspiration is to brainstorm ideas. When I do this I give myself no restraints and no limits. I simply sit down with a pen and paper or my laptop and let myself brain dump every idea, no matter how silly or dumb they seem, onto the paper or screen. Do not edit yourself. Every idea that you write down is valid and could lead to something really inspired.
Now is not the time to sensor yourself. Get it all out and keep writing constantly. Do not let yourself have time in between things you’re writing down to contemplate any of the ideas you’re getting down. Save that for after you’re sure you have nothing left to get out of your brainstorming session. Then, after you’ve had a little break, come back to the list and see what you have and pick a few items to develop further.
Stop Beating Yourself Up
You’re not perfect and you never will be. This is something that took me a long time to figure out. My quest for perfection caused a lot of frustration and very little action for years. I always thought that if I couldn’t do something perfect, I shouldn’t do it at all. The truth is if you wait for perfection, you’ll live a life of frustration and you’ll never accomplish anything.
No one is expecting you to be perfect. Just do your absolute best and the rewards will come your way. If you don’t feel like you did your best, then try hard next time but don’t let the search for perfection keep you from achieving your dreams. Dreams come in little increments over a span of time. They rarely happen overnight.
So, instead of beating yourself up, tell yourself that today you will do your absolute best today and tomorrow you will do better but never wait until you can do something perfectly to start doing something.
In Conclusion
We all have times when we lack inspiration and fear that we’ll never get it back. Know that that’s a falsehood and you most definitely will have that spark again real soon.
The next time you feel that way, grab a few of the ideas above and give them a try or why not create an Inspiration Checklist that you regularly do before starting work by linking a few of these ideas together. You might just find that your episodes of searching for inspiration get further and further apart and you have more ideas to work with than you know what to do with. That’s a great problem to have. Now get to it and create some masterpieces.
