Creative ruts happen all the time to each one of us. As someone who creates content for a living, this is one of the most difficult parts of the job! Sometimes, you’ve got nothing left in the tank, no creative ideas and a total lack of inspiration, but there are things you can do to reignite that creativity and inspiration.
I have a lot of experience at this point in taking steps to foster creativity and get inspired, so I thought I’d share some of my tried and true tips!
+ Peruse Pinterest
How did we ever come up with creative ideas before Pinterest? Better yet, how did we figure out what to make for dinner?
Whenever I’m in a rut, especially for visual content, I like to scroll Pinterest and gather ideas. The platform has been especially helpful lately in finding bump-friendly outfit ideas, summer salad recipes and inspiration for our home renovations. Considering this is a lifestyle blog, I often get blog post ideas and inspiration for Instagram posts when I’m casually scrolling Pinterest, or if I’m searching for something specific.
+ Consume content
I know that a lot of people try to take breaks from social media or digital content, and that’s fair, but that isn’t normally something that works for me. Personally, when I feel like I’m uninspired or don’t have any fresh ideas, I like to consume more content. I turn to my favourite blogs, spend 30 minutes watching random Instagram Reels or review my saved posts on Instagram to get inspired, and by the time I’m done, I usually have a list of ideas that I want to test out!
+ Share ideas
You do not have to do it all yourself! I remind myself of this constantly. I think it’s so important to share your ideas with others, whether that be your friends, family, small business owners or even your Instagram pals. It’s wild how one small idea can grow when you put it out into the world and get feedback. I love to share ideas for my business (or their business) with other small business owners and see where the conversation goes.
There are plenty of creative ideas to go around – no need to hoard them.
+ Don’t always do it for the money
I’ve definitely had moments when I let money get in the way of my creativity. I’ve turned down opportunities because the money wasn’t there, but really, the opportunity to be creative may have been just as valuable.
For example, there are a few local brands that I like to collaborate with now and then that may not translate to dollars in my bank account, but working with them gives me the opportunity to flex my creative muscles and get into my inspiration zone. Sometimes, you can’t put a price on that.
What are some things that you do to foster creativity and get inspired?
