If you are in any way connected with creativity in any of its manifestations, then you do not need to explain how important inspiration is. When you have it, any task seems within your grasp, and the creative process is so captivating that you forget about sleep and food. If it is not there, then one’s hands give up helplessly and any task becomes an unbearable burden.
It’s good if you are engaged in creativity as a hobby and can give up on the lack of inspiration: “well, no, okay, let’s wait until it’s worked up and comes back.” But what to do if creativity is your job, and your income depends on missing inspiration? There is only one answer - you have to look. We have collected for you 21 effective ways to return runaway inspiration.
What is inspiration?
Inspiration is a feeling of elation, a surge of strength and a desire to work, thanks to which a person can create something greater than in his usual state. For example, write a brilliant poem, compose music, come up with an idea. Creative inspiration allows you to concentrate and show your full potential for generating and implementing new ideas.
Where to find inspiration? Sources of inspiration can include books, travel, paintings, music, hobbies, conversations with new people, meditation and complete “disconnection” from the outside world.
A feeling of inspiration arises in a person due to the fact that he realizes interest in some activity, he has a desire to create. This state can be passed on to the people around you, which will allow you to get an even more interesting and useful result. When inspiration comes, its sensation is accompanied by a feeling of lightness, clarity of thoughts and a positive attitude. In this state, you can “move mountains.”
Summarizing
To sum it up, we can say that there is no single way to inspire a person. Most people are not alike and are inspired by different things. You need to find out what works for you, and one of the best ways to do this is to think about what you did the last few times you felt inspired. Think about where you were and what you did. Look for common factors and include them the next time you need inspiration. Some ideas for inspiration have been described in this article. You also learned how to stay inspired.
How to find inspiration?
Many creative people have asked this question more than once. For example, writers are interested in how to find inspiration for writing a book when the long-awaited muse does not come. Here are some tips for creative people:
How to find drawing inspiration?
Artists are inspired by paintings, prints and other works of art, as well as the world around them. Therefore, it is useful to look through the albums of famous artists, visit an exhibition in a museum, or take a walk in a beautiful place.
It is useful to surround yourself with beautiful objects that will stimulate creativity and stimulate new ideas. Sometimes creativity is stimulated by extreme stress. For example, after the first parachute jump, the brain, under the influence of strong emotions, can generate new ideas. However, you should not get carried away with the technique of severe stress.
Where can you find inspiration for writing poetry?
Poets can find inspiration in the views of nature: mountains, rivers, oceans. A feeling of creative impulse can be achieved after listening to your favorite music or talking with a loved one.
If you have been struggling with writing poetry for a long time, take a break and take a walk. Your brain will incubate ideas at this time, and after the walk you will be able to continue working with renewed vigor.
How to find inspiration for creativity?
It all depends on the direction of activity - reading books, traveling or walking, watching films, communicating with creative people, meditation and “disconnecting” from the outside world are useful.
Create a cozy atmosphere at home, turn on your favorite music, light scented candles. Achieve complete relaxation. In this state, a person is often visited by new ideas that he wants to express in creativity.
Where can you find inspiration for a book?
Try to come up with an interesting plot - you can take it from life, from a historical chronicle or your own fantasies. Watch a classic play - the acting will help you reveal emotions that can later be conveyed to the heroes of the future work.
If you can't start writing, set yourself a plan. For example, write at least 5 pages a day. Write everything that comes to mind, even completely absurd thoughts. Gradually, your brain will be drawn into the new work and you will be inspired.
What to do if there is no inspiration?
Despite all your efforts, sometimes inspiration doesn't come. Here are some tips that may help in this situation:
- Don’t forget to dream - this is how your imagination develops, and this contributes to inspiration.
- Travel or just walk down the street - it helps to draw inspiration from the surrounding landscapes.
- Read books - interesting thoughts will help you start creating.
- Remember about self-development - this can be not only books, but also films, performances, exhibitions, forums or conferences.
- Communicate with people - the inspiration and work spirit of others can easily be transferred to you.
- Believe in yourself and appreciate your strengths - this is the key to a successful result. Psychologists note that inspiration often comes to people who are confident in their abilities.
- Don't forget about a positive attitude and good mood - this is important for creative individuals.
- Listen to your body, do not forget about rest, good nutrition and good sleep. Even a short break will help restore balance and continue working.
Method No. 3. Give yourself permission to create
So, let's say you "caught" the idea, appreciated it and believed that you could come up with something cool and really worthwhile. What's next? At this point, it is very important to continue to closely monitor your thoughts. After all, right now doubts will begin to knock on your head:
- “What makes me think that I will succeed?”;
- “The idea is cool, but I will never implement it”;
- “Creativity is not for me”;
- “Maybe I’ll never come up with anything new again? I won’t put forward any idea?”
At the moment when you again feel unworthy, worthless and untalented, remember these words from the book by Elizabeth Gilbert and repeat them until the doubts recede:
We are all walking repositories of hidden treasures. I believe that this is a very ancient and very generous trick, a game that nature plays with people, to its and our pleasure: nature hides unusual jewels in each of us, and then stands aside and sees if we can find them.
If you are not new to the topic of the power of thought, then you know well how dangerous it can be to overestimate the importance of what you want. This is also true for creativity. If the search for inspiration and new ideas has become a major task for you, if you can’t think about anything else, then it’s time to loosen your grip.
Reduce importance!
On the subject: How can a woman reduce the IMPORTANCE of desire when attracting love?
Don't take everything too seriously. If you want to write a book simply because you have something to say to this world, write it. Don't worry about who will publish it, how much it will cost, or whether it will be a bestseller. You will have time to think about this, but now just relax and enjoy the process.
Want to write a book? Compose a song? Make a movie? Paint ceramics? Learn to dance? Discover new lands? Want to draw a penis on the wall? Do it. Who cares? You are born as a human being, so do it with joy in your heart. (What I mean, of course, is that you should take it seriously—just don't take it too seriously.)
Let inspiration take you wherever it wants. Remember that throughout history, people mostly just got things done without making some big deal out of it. We do things because we enjoy doing them. You don't have to ask anyone for permission and you don't need anyone's permission to live a creative life.
Often we do not give ourselves permission to
express creatively , not allowing ourselves to create.
It seems to us that we are unworthy of more because we do not have special education or the necessary knowledge. These negative thoughts can lead us into a dangerous trap.
A common trap: instead of doing what our soul tells us to do, we suddenly decide to start learning how to do it, considering ourselves incompetent. The amount of educational content today is endless, and we risk becoming eternal students without ever creating anything of value.
Don't get me wrong, I in no way want to say that you don't need to study. Of course you need it! But don’t ask creativity to wait until you get another diploma, and then another certificate, don’t ask the flow of ideas to stop while you complete the next course. After all, inspiration may not wait!
When does inspiration come?
Psychologists note an interesting fact: for some people, a feeling of inspiration and desire to create comes in the evening and at night. During this period, it becomes possible to concentrate on the work ahead, despite fatigue.
Why does inspiration come at night? This is due to the fact that during this period the body relaxes, and the person is not distracted by extraneous noises, neighbors, or household activities. After the bustle of the city during the day, it’s so nice to do what you love – this is where there is space for thoughts and creative impulses.
But it should be noted that this feeling does not accompany all people. Therefore, when asked why there is no inspiration at night, or, conversely, during the day, psychologists answer that this is due to the characteristics of the human body, his emotions and experiences.
Inspiration, neuroplasticity and alpha waves
Scientists have long noticed that creativity does not manifest itself in people at the most expected moments. Often this does not happen during work, but just the opposite - when you are relaxed, resting, had a little drink and “slept” with your problem.
Just remember the story of Newton, who was simply basking in the garden. All this is a consequence of a brain feature called neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to form new neural connections even in adulthood. When you create a new connection between two ideas, it's not just a metaphor. Your brain is literally rewiring itself at an anatomical level to accommodate new processes. The more such neural connections your brain creates, the more new ideas you will generate.
However, this process of creating new pathways occurs with different efficiency at different times. When you are focused, alert and attentive, the brain exhibits high beta wave activity. This is great for completing tasks we've already learned, for logical and analytical thinking. As your body prepares for sleep, brain activity changes. It first generates alpha waves (you're just relaxed) and then theta waves (you're already starting to fall asleep). Finally, during deep sleep, another type of brain electrical activity appears - delta waves. It is the aforementioned alpha waves that are associated with increased neuroplasticity in the brain.
Now you can justify yourself. You are not lazy - you are catching alpha waves to be more creative.
How else can you increase neuroplasticity on a long-term basis?
In addition to being able to capture greater neuroplasticity during the drowsy moments of the day, you can also influence it in other ways. You may even already be doing some of this list:
- Physical activity. Research [Hötting K1, Röder B, 2013] confirms that regular physical activity enhances neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, angiogenesis and the release of neurotrophins. All these processes together lead to improved cognitive functions.
- Reading also leads to increased neural connections, says cognitive scientist Maureen Hall.
- Meditation. There are many studies showing the positive effects of meditation on the brain. Neuroplasticity and increased creativity are among them.
- Video games. Here's another reason for you to justify your procrastinatory desires. As studies have shown [S Kühn, T Gleich, 2014], 30 minutes of playing SuperMario every day led to an increase in gray matter in the right lobe of the hippocampus, right prefrontal cortex and cerebellum.
We cannot help but note that a real increase in neuroplasticity is possible only with regular and long-term use of these methods.
What do you need for inspiration?
There is an opinion that to be inspired you need a positive attitude and focus on results. These two components will allow you to achieve a feeling of a comfortable state for creative work.
What to do if you lose inspiration? Experts recommend taking a little rest and taking a break from work. You can switch to another activity, in the daytime and in suitable weather, go for a walk, chat with loved ones or listen to your favorite music. This will allow your body to relax and gain new strength for further work.
Such tips will be useful for people of various professions - artists, poets, hand-made specialists. Depending on the direction of activity, after rest it is important to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of your creativity, and then you can achieve good results. If inspiration still doesn’t appear, and the deadline is approaching, you can try to complete the task. In the process of work, inspiration can appear by itself.
How to get a muse here and now
1
Immerse yourself in the problem
A blank page is the worst place to come up with a brilliant idea. In any case, you need some clues. The clay from which you mold your creation.
Suppose you are a writer, you need to come up with the plot of your next book, but your head is completely empty and there is no inspiration. Just try to think about your problem around the edges. Ask yourself what era the book will take place in. In which country or in which city. Gather information about these periods and places. Think about your main character. Come up with a biography for him. Perhaps something in his life will prompt you to create a plot. In general, wander around your task. Collect material for your brain to work with.
2
Look to other people for inspiration
Sometimes I get a stunning idea for writing a new article. But there is a blank white screen in my head when it comes to its implementation. There's really nothing new in the world, so I go see how other people have implemented a similar idea.
This will not be plagiarism or even borrowing ideas. In most cases, in the process of getting to know other people's work, I come up with my own, relatively new ideas. Other people's work is a great starting point and stimulator for my creative muscle.
If you don't have enough inspiration in your head, look elsewhere.
3
Allow yourself to be lazy
Constantly being active and chasing productivity (which is what we all do here) can lead to feelings of guilt when you do allow yourself to relax. This is bad. By forcing yourself to be active and spinning like a top, you only harm your creativity, which loves thinking, daydreaming and alpha waves.
Find time each day to slow down, relax, and let your mind wander to find creative solutions.
4
Be ready when inspiration strikes
If you do everything right, the muse will come to you. However, this can happen at the most unexpected moment and in the most inopportune place.
I often get some ideas before going to bed, in a half-asleep state (those same alpha waves, yes). And sometimes it’s very difficult to even reach for the phone to write down this idea. I convince myself that I will still remember the idea, but...
In the morning you have to remember for a long time and painfully, and it doesn’t always work out successfully... I was not ready for the moment of inspiration, and I lost a lot of ideas.
Don't repeat this mistake. Always, always be prepared to capture your ideas.
How to write texts without waiting for inspiration?
Separately, I would like to share ideas with copywriters. If you can’t get the mood to write a text, use the “Listener” technique:
- Collect information on the topic on which you need to write a text.
- Turn on the voice recorder, for example, on your smartphone.
- Imagine a representative of the target audience of the text. If it’s difficult to imagine, call a friend or relative and let them listen to you. If there are no people nearby, you can tell the information to a pet, a flower, or any object. The main thing is that there is a “listener” in front of you.
- Say out loud what needs to be conveyed in text.
- Decipher the resulting recording by rewriting the monologue as text.
- Edit the received content.
- The article is ready!
Summary
Inspiration is a very subtle feeling that arises in a person on a subconscious level. Often it is impossible to control it, but you can try to achieve a comfortable state and peace of mind, thanks to which a creative impulse will appear. This is what we call inspiration.
Useful articles on the topic:
- 10 tips on how to work effectively from home!
- How to publish your book? Interview with Peter Panda
- How to force yourself to work if you have no strength or mood?
Author: Articles from readers (KadrofID: 10782) Added: 12/06/2017 at 19:16
To favorites
Comments (0)
