As creatives, we had wild delusions about what life would be like as an artist, a writer, whatever the particular craft be. The delusions likely entailed cozy nooks, rooms with the morning sunlight pouring in through the windows, beach breezes, fresh coffee, breathtaking landscapes, similar to the ideas I held once about what the life of a writer would be like. Endless inspiration, blank pages, words brimming over constantly, and feeling like there were simply not enough hours in a day to create!
But if you call yourself a creative, you too probably came to realize quickly that the creative life and process if rarely that invigorating.
Those wild imaginings where our hearts and souls, with all their passion and depth, bleed into words on a page or colors on a canvas in a whimsical and magical way are few and far between.
The wild passion usually remains at bay and the surges of unhindered inspiration that we long for evade us.
As creatives, we are constantly looking for, seeking out, and searching for opportunities of inspiration. While there is no magic formula, no recipe for success, there are a few ways you can find inspiration when you don’t feel inspired.
Read
The cliche is true, readers are leaders. In the creative world where entrepreneurship and art are constantly interplaying, reading will keep you inspired and leading the way.
Read the authors whose words move you, read the authors whose words challenge you. Read the authors whose words make you want to go out and change the world. Read the authors whose words make you want to weep for days that the state of humanity. Read genres and titles that from the outside, seem to make no sense in your particular industry. Continually expanding the limits of your mind and soul and it is sure to inspire you to create something new and innovative.
Create
There was a long held delusion idea I had that you created when you felt most inspired. Inspiration always seem to be brimming when I worked a nine-to-five and would have to write on the side. But when writing became a full time job, it’s like my creative well of endless inspiration was suddenly dry. Panicking, I believe that something must be wrong with me, that I wasn’t destined to be a writer and feared I may never be able to create like I once did when I had so much inspiration.
But creating shouldn’t hinge entirely on inspiration I found. If it does, we are in big trouble. Inspiration does not bubble over every day, but the good news is that you can sit down and write every day, you can pick up the brush and paint every day, you can do the work of creating every day. It’s imperative that you continue creating when you don’t feel inspired, especially when you don’t feel inspired. And the wild part is that often time, creating begets inspiration.
Connect
The life of a creative is not to navigate on your own. It can be a treacherous journey, a path, filled with critics, haters and naysayers.
Connect with your people. Find your fellow creative’s. Walk with one another, work with one another, connect with one another. You never know what inspiration will come to you by bearing witness to the creative process or another human. You may just be surprised as the creativity that is born from sharing struggles, heartaches and fears with your fellow creators.
Read, connect and keep creating, even on (especially on) the days when you don’t feel inspired and you may be surprised at the genius of what you can create!
