Where do you look for inspiration?
If you’re answer is Pinterest – yes I agree – love it but there are so many other ways to gather inspiration for your creative work.⠀If you’re feeling frustrated and can’t stand being in a creative rut, try one of these things…
Walk In Nature
I love to go on walks and hikes and ALWAYS have some kind of camera with me – usually my phone. If you walk with me you’ll most likely be annoyed because if I see something that inspires me I always stop to photograph it. Go to a park, or in the woods or anywhere else where there’s nature – even in the winter! Be on the lookout for different shapes, textures or anything else out of the ordinary.
Go Someplace New
My friend asked if I wanted to go to the NY Botanical Gardens and she said the 5 magic words – “you can bring your camera!” Hello! I’m in!⠀
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I hadn’t been there in a long time and it was the first time seeing the holiday train show. Wow! So much creativity! The intricacy and detail to all of the buildings and bridges they created was so inspiring! I got so many ideas for my own projects which leads me to say – go out, check out new places – there’s a world of inspiration beyond your computer screen!⠀
Watch A Movie
There are a few movies that I can watch over and over again not necessarily for the story but because I love the editing style, the colors used, the backgrounds, costumes, props, etc. Two of my favorites are Alice In Wonderland (the Johnny Depp version) and Maleficent. Both are so visually inspiring! There’s so much creativity in those movies! I think about different ways I can edit my photos, details I can put into drawings and even ideas for Halloween costumes! I was once The Mad Hatter – one of my favorite DIY costumes! Next time instead of zoning out in front of Netflix, actually pay attention and maybe even have a notebook next to you so you can write down ideas that may come to you while watching.
Read a Book
Books are great because you have to use your imagination to see and understand what the author is writing. There’s also a chance you’ll learn something new which may spark a new creative idea. Biographies are great as well. Find an artist or entrepreneur that inspires you and see if they have a book – preferably with stories about their own life so you can get a peek into their mindset and early beginnings.
Look Outside Your Industry
What can you pick up from other industries? Let’s say you’re a portrait photographer or nature photographer. If you keep looking at other portraits or other photos of flowers it won’t be as stimulating. But…you may get inspired if you do the reverse. If you normally photograph flowers, start looking at portraits. What elements of portrait photography can you incorporate into you flower images? Or better yet, look completely out of your industry! Forget about looking at other photographers – what can you pick up from chefs, cake decorators, clothing designers?
Eat Something Different
So many of us eat the same old same old day in and day out. I’m totally guilty of this! My day isn’t complete without my acai bowl! When was the last time you tried something new? Order in from a new restaurant or try a recipe with ingredients you haven’t had yet. Is there somewhere you’ve always wanted to go but haven’t yet? Order or make food from that region. Have you always wanted to go to Santorini or somewhere else in Greece? Santorini is on my bucket list! Do some research about the area to see what they eat and make that dish. This week I made a Greek moussaka -and Spanish plantains – both so good!
“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.”
— Edward de Bono
There’s a world of creativity beyond your computer screen. Try something new, shake things up and your creative juices will definitely start flowing again!
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