How to Find Inspiration when You're Struggling to Create

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However, talented and creative you are, there are always going to be times when you’re stressed out and uninspired. When you’re working in a creative industry, running out of ideas can be incredibly frustrating and makes for an unproductive day.

Below are a few ways in which you can seek out inspiration when you’re struggling to create:

1. Take inspiration from industry leaders

   

   Experts and leaders in your industry are going to be sharing useful ideas and insights all the time — take a look at their latest LinkedIn post or blog article. If you're struggling to tackle a particular task or project, find out if they've shared anything in that area.

   Creativity doesn't just have to come from yourself. It's important that you consider other peoples' perspectives on new ideas. If possible, try talking directly with others in your industry. Even just a brief discussion about something can help with inspiration or give you a new approach.

2. Podcasts

   

   Podcasts aren't just for entertainment — there are also informative, useful podcasts out there for pretty much every industry. Listening to podcasts related to your industry will give insights, advice, inspiration, and ideas. The best part is you don't have to take time out of your day to listen to them — you can learn and get inspired on your morning commute, while you're exercising, or while you're doing household chores.

   If you're struggling to create, then find a few of the best podcasts for your industry and add them to your daily routine. Depending on what you're working on, you could listen to specific marketing podcasts such as Marketing Speak, which covers everything from SEO to PR. Or listen to podcasts aimed at more general business inspiration like the Growth Experts podcast, which interviews founders and marketers to understand how they work.

3. Blogs

   

   Blogs can offer just as much information and inspiration as books or training courses but in smaller doses. Again, you need to find the best blogs for your particular industry or skills — whether that's copywriting, social media marketing, or website design.

   Use a tool like Feedly to curate a list of the best blogs you want to follow. Then every time you need some inspiration, you can load it up and see all the latest blog posts from industry experts, market leaders, and other creatives.

4. Creative inspiration sites

   

   Visual content is essential to any business, but consistently coming up with ideas and designs is difficult. If you're struggling with more visually creative inspiration, then there are hundreds of websites that curate advertisements, photography, graphic design, and art.

   Creative Review started out as a print magazine, but its blog covers the latest designs, advertisements, and branding. The site has plenty of visual inspiration plus a digital archive of every print issue from the last 40 years. Design Inspiration is another useful site that covers logos, illustration, typography, photography, and lots more.

5. Take a break

   

   You can't always force inspiration, and sometimes the more you try, the harder it becomes to come up with any ideas. Every now and then, you need to accept you've hit a blocker and take a break. Try to do something completely unrelated — take a walk outside, make yourself a cup of tea, listen to some music.

   More often than not, you'll still be processing while you do something else, and you'll find inspiration somewhere completely unexpected. Taking a break will give your mind a chance to refresh and come back ready to create.

6. Change up your routine

   

   Having a daily routine is a good way to keep you focused and on task, but it can also mean you're working on auto-pilot without realizing it. If you do the same thing every day in the same way, you're going to end up switching off and not engaging in the same way.

   To spark some inspiration, try changing up a few small parts of your daily routine — start the day with your most difficult tasks instead of the usual morning admin, or take lunch at a different time. Use a checklist to organize your workload but change up the kind of tasks you need to do each day.