Three Tricks to Find Inspiration

Posted on May 12, 2021

Having spent more than a year in lockdown, there’s no wonder so many of us are finding it hard to find inspiration, even as the world starts to reopen.

I know I personally have become accustomed to being able to go on holiday each year, whether that’s a staycation weekend somewhere new in the UK, a city break in Europe for a few days or a two-week sunshine extravaganza. Seeing new places, eating different food, experiencing other cultures and taking the time to be in the moment is the most inspiring thing for me. So for the past year, it’s safe to say that the creativity and experiences I would normally thrive off of have been somewhat stilted.

Even the simpler ways to find inspiration in the every day were removed. There’s been no sitting in a coffee shop listening in to snippets of conversations. No seeing people busily getting on with their lives and feeding off the buzz of everyone’s energy and emotions.

Instead, for many the past year or more has consisted entirely of the same four walls or the same route to walk to get some fresh air.

Writing this post has been as much a therapeutic exercise for me, as it has writing content to support our readers. So, how do you get your mojo back? I have a few thing to try.

Get out

Now we’re able to experience a little more, and Boris is changing them even further on Monday (for England and the UK) we’re able to branch out a little more. Go out for dinner or coffee, stay overnight somewhere else and enjoy more time with other people – safely, of course.

Especially if you’re working from home, take the time to go somewhere new when you feel comfortable and safe to do so.

There’s a reason that inspiration comes to you in the shower or while you’re driving. I think it’s because you stop thinking about the thing that you need to solve, you’re no longer focussed on the problem which gives your brain the space it needs to find a solution. You distract your conscious mind to give your subconscious the opportunity to deliver a solution or idea.

I cannot wait to sit in the corner of a café with a great read and a chai latte. I’m guaranteed to feel refreshed and inspired afterwards.

Find your dopamine booster

When you hit a creative wall, it’s all too easy to become stuck in a slump. To find yourself spiralling in the same low energy, anxiety and stress.

And there’s a reason for that – according the neuroscientist Alice Flaherty, a key ingredient of creativity is dopamine. The more dopamine that’s released, the more creative we are likely to be. So what releases dopamine? Sleeping well, getting some sunshine, eat well, meditating – these are all things that increase our dopamine levels naturally. This increase could be the push to get out of the slump and into a more creative mindset.

Be kind to yourself

Sometimes you just have to let that slump pass. Let’s be honest, the more you fixate on it, the more likely you are to get stuck in it. Take time out for yourself, relax in the knowledge that inspiration will return and sometimes you simply can’t force it. Put the kettle on, grab a book and have a minute to yourself.

How do you find inspiration? Share your tips @marylebonepublishing.