Inspiration/Creativity. Where does one get it from… there is no one way of getting inspired for everyone. Inspiration comes in many forms and from anywhere, like reading a book, taking a walk, meditation, watching a movie and more. I get into ruts all the time, where to get the next idea from, what to start with. I am an engineer by trade, I am entrenched in zeros and ones’ for the better part of the day; it gets pretty boring, pretty fast. I need something to get the right side of my brain reignited and stimulated.

I sometimes have a tough time getting out of these creative ruts. To overcome this I tend to turn to some stimulating activities, like watching an interesting documentary, exercise or engaging in meditation. For the latter, I use headspace where they have fantastic packs for different types of meditation purpose, be it for creativity, anxiety, sleep or staying focused, to name just a few. I love this product, I tend to listen to it each night and in the morning to start my day as it is really effective in helping me to open up and get me started in the right direction.

Inspiration can come from the smallest thing, such as a color. You can create an entire shoot based on a color that comes to mind. You might wish to explore what that color feels like. For example, Red (my favorite), communicates fire, passion, and excitement. I try to have fun with it to help it snowball from there, otherwise I might still hit a wall. I start from things like these and work to get the creative process going.

 You have to work at it to get the results. Lying around, looking at a screen, scrolling through social media, saying that nothing is coming to you or you are simply not being inspired/creative is a lazy way out.  You have to put in that work, break that block, do something out of the ordinary, learn to cook a meal, go to a museum, doodle, get a coloring book and start to color! Just do something, as the motion and engagement might lead you anywhere…

The more you think about it, the less it will come to you. Don’t put that pressure to find the next thing, let it happen, let it be fluid. Don’t research into these “steps to get creative” BS, just go out there and “do”.

I fight this block all the time, as I’ve been an engineer for a long time and my brain tends to lead in that direction. It can definitely get tough to switch on the creative light, but I don’t stop trying, whether it be in new or unusual ways (coloring/doodling works for me!!). I can tell you that the result is definitely is worth the effort every time, so I recommend you roll your sleeves up and keep trying until you find out what works for you.