When I first started this blog I had grand plans to write a post every week. While I try to update my blog as much as possible there are times that inspiration fails to strike me. Which got me to thinking, where does inspiration come from? Does that spark of creative genius only come from outside stimuli or do we have the capacity to create within ourselves?

When we sit around waiting for inspiration to strike we end up wasting a lot of time. Meanwhile our writing, our painting, and our overall creative output become stagnant. The reason for this is based on the fear that without this divine romanticized view of inspiration our work will not be perfect. Not everything you will create in life will be perfect, and it shouldn’t be. If everything we ever  did was perfect how would we be able to track our growth and evolution as creators?

I have found two ways to overcome creative blocks. The first way to overcome a stagnant period is to do whatever it is you do. If you paint, pick up that brush and get to work; if you are a writer, start typing the first thing that comes to your mind. It may not be a master piece, it may make Hemingway roll in his grave but at least you are creating. The second way to overcome a creative block is to change your surroundings. Now I mean really change them. For example, If you tend to typically look for inspiration in nature spend the day in a city. If you scroll Instagram for design inspiration try browsing a junk yard instead. Take your go to inspirational activity and flip that fucker upside down. Find inspiration in the unexpected, look for the hidden beauty around you. Hint; it’s not always pretty or perfect or wrapped up in a nice little ” Get your inspiration here” package. Challenge your mind to think differently.

Inspiration is not some mystical thing that only comes to those who deserve it. Finding your inspiration takes work, false starts, and imperfect creations. Search out for inspiration in unlikely places. Whatever you do, don’t stop doing what you are doing. Keep creating and maybe you will find those magical moments of inspiration along the way.