5 Ideas on How to Rekindle Inspiration

With buds dotting the tree branches and the sun shining later into the evening, there seems to be an endless supply of inspiration all around. But what about when inspiration begins runs a bit thin?

In this week's blog post, I'd like to share with you 5 things I've found to be helpful when I'm feeling a bit lackluster when it comes to ideas. 

Let yourself relax. Take a break from your project. Creativity is hard to force, so don't force it! Switch tasks. Try something that's low pressure fun. Like flipping through a magazine (your local library should have a nice free selection) or meeting a friend for coffee. Stay off the computer and your phone. If you don't have the luxury to switch tasks, try to get the rote tasks done such as formatting or data entry. Sometimes just getting started and having small wins is all you need. 

 Read one of these books:

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Good Poems by Garrison Keillor
The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor
I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Slone Crosley
Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger

Limit your resources. Sometimes the sheer amount of options and information available is paralyzing. Give yourself 30 minutes to come up with 30 ideas. Only allow yourself to sketch on paper. Use just two colors. Force yourself to give 10 reasons why every idea that comes WILL work. Limit your budget to $25. 

We love the idea that Sharon (the Maps part of the blogMaps & Raps) mentoned on ourFacebook Page.  She likes to keep some colored post-its at her desk and she creates new catagories when she sees something new she likes. When she hears about something neat, she'll jot it down and check it out later. 

Stephanie Press fromHold Vintage also chimed in on our FB post and suggested getting out in nature or spend some time looking at art. If you're in Austin, you've got some really great options! Hike Mt. Bonnell or visit the Blanton Art Muesum (which is free to the public on Thursdays). A quick google search of free parks or museums in your town may surprise you of what it has to offer. And be sure to bring a notebook to jot down all those ideas that begin flooding in...

So what about you? What do you do when you find your much needed creativity waning? We'd love to be inspired by your ideas!