My Top 5 Things to Do When Inspiration Runs Dry
Hey Creative Heart!
In this video I’m excited to share with you my top five things to do when inspiration runs dry. We’ve all experienced moments where we want to do something but the inspiration just isn’t there for whatever reason.
Video Transcript: My Top 5 Things to Do When Inspiration Runs Dry
I’ve found in my creative life that inspiration ebbs and flows, and the more that I can relax around that natural rhythm in my life the more productive I am. That being said I do have five different top picks that I turn to routinely at different times in my creative life that help me get back on the horse, and back in the studio painting or writing, or doing whatever it is that my heart’s calling me.
#1. Get Your Body Moving
I’ll often use this if I’ve got a lot of thoughts going on in my head, I need to recenter and I just need to move my body. That is, I’ll go for a walk.
It sounds really basic and it is, but it’s really, really effective.
I find that it’s most effective if I can, while I’m going on my walk, use that time to come back into the present and give my mind a little bit of a break and use it as a bit of meditation. I’ll make sure that, at least for a portion of the walk, I’m not trying to re-numerate about what it is that I’m trying to solve, but I’ll instead really pay attention to the flowers that I’m passing, and the bushes, and how the leaves might be changing.
I’ll pay attention to what my neighbors have been doing in their garden, and come back to the present because that helps to release more creativity in my mind. All of a sudden I’ll often find these seemingly unrelated solutions will emerge.
Plus it’s great for your health, so I highly recommend taking yourself for a walk.
#2. Rest Your Weary Bones
The second of my top picks that I turn to when inspiration runs dry is rest. I’ll do this often when I’m feeling absolutely depleted and I’m feeling like, “You know what? I just need to be in a safe cocoon of my bed.”
Often when I’m in my bed for me it works as a place where ideas percolate or I might just literally fall asleep in which case my body is calling for relaxation, and rest, and rejuvenation. Then naturally when I wake up gain I’ve got refilled stocks in my reserves and I can move forward from there.
I know in the past when I’ve tried to push thought that tiredness, and I’ve tried to overcome it, it doesn’t work for me. I’ve found by embracing it sooner rather than later, the shorter the amount of time that I need to take as downtime. Resting is my number two of my top picks.
#3. Read to Delight & Feed Your Soul
I might find a beautiful new book on Amazon and I’ll download a sample of it to my Kindle, or I’ll download a sample of a whole lot of beautiful new book and choose my favorite and then purchase that.
I’ll often find that by reading other people’s work it inspires new creative ideas for blog posts, and for paintings, and for places to travel and things to do in my business. Whatever the focus is for that creative project.
#4. Travel & See What Delights Nature Has in Store
The forth tool in my creative tool kit is something I love, love, love, and that’s travel.
When I’m finished working on a project, maybe I’ve finished a new series of paintings for an exhibition, or I’ve finished making an online course, I very likely will feel an unbelievable urge to get out of the house and travel.
For me traveling is like walking on steroids, driving in the car and you’ve got this windscreen with a traveling picture show and you get to see all these moments of landscapes which of course are a huge part of my inspiration for my creative practice as a painter. I find that traveling just ignites my creativity like nothing else, so that’s number four.
#5. Spend Time Playing
Number five is I love to play. Once I’ve got enough energy reserves back in my tank, once I may have found some images that I love in a book or from my travels or walking, then it’s about coming back to the studio, or coming back to the computer and playing with my materials.
Playing with words until they form something that rings true for me.
Playing with paints.
I just start applying them onto the canvas, and giving myself permission for it to not be perfect, and not have to know exactly what I’m doing before I begin. I’ve found that that sense of play will really spark my inspiration up again.
There’s my five top picks for what to do when my inspiration runs dry. I’d love to hear from you which of those resonated with you, and if you use any of those in your creative life. How you like to refill your well of inspiration.
Leave a comment down below and we can all be part of this creative journey together.
Make sure that you’re kind to yourself, nurture your creativity.
Have a beautiful week and I’ll see you next time!
With love,
Nicola xx
Did you miss last week’s post? Check it out here: 4 of the Best Self-Nurturing & Common Sense Living Books
Free Manifesting Course
PPS. If you’re feeling blocked and stuck, make sure to check out my friend Denise Duffield-Thomas’ free Manifesting eCourse. She’s the master at breaking things down into practical steps to take, that will truly move you towards your dreams.
I’ll be interviewing her next week too, so if you have any questions you’d like me to ask her, please let me know! xx
PPS. If you're feeling blocked and stuck, make sure to check out my friend Denise Duffield-Thomas' free Manifesting eCourse. She's the master at breaking things down into practical steps to take, that will truly move you towards your dreams.I'll be interviewing her next week too, so if you have any questions you'd like me to ask her, please let me know! xx