staying inspired.
alright friends, there is a bit to unpack here.
i asked my audience on instagram if they felt inspiration came in waves… every single person who took time to share with me said YES; and most of them continued to say the waves were big, like an ebb and flow. inspiration comes, and then it goes. staying inspired is not easy—and i have thought a lot about this—so i want to discuss my views on staying inspired by walking through 10 quick points, provoking questions & tips.
what happens when i get too inspired?
doesn’t this sound crazy? how could a person be too inspired? think about it. when we feel inspired to create, in any medium, it can come in the form of a great idea for a painting, an original song, a photo, anything. or… it can come in the form of so many ideas that your head reels. this happens to me a lot. when we get too inspired, we often can’t accomplish in one sitting all that we want to. in those moments, it is important to stay organized. STAY READY! when inspiration comes in a big wave, say “i have got this” and write down your ideas. have a creative journal where you write big ideas, small ideas, throw-away ideas and the ‘best-idea-you’ve-ever-had’ ideas. be as specific as you can. a relevant example for me right now is when ideas hit me for my creative portrait series on instagram. i often think of multiple portrait concepts at once, so i will write buzz words for theme, backdrop color, props needed, and what i am going to wear. that keeps me from ever, ever losing sight of that great thing that came to me.
if you write it down, you won’t limit yourself with time and you definitely won’t forget it. because the answer to the question “what happens when i get too inspired?” is that often, we don’t have time to carry out the big ideas that come, and that is what we want to avoid.simplicity stirs creativity. sometimes a small idea becomes a big one
this is going to be a brief point: when you get an idea and it feels small, that is FINE. treasure it as an idea no matter the magnitude, and maybe later it will become something more. a lot of the time our ideas need to marinate and be loved on a bit before we can carry them out. and honestly, the smaller ideas can be more than enough; not every idea has to be extreme (more on this in #8).what to do when seeking inspiration affects your mental health
STOP. that’s it. when seeking inspiration becomes so incredibly taxing that you find yourself losing joy, forgetting your WHY, or feeling unfulfilled, the best thing to do is stop looking so hard. this is way easier said than done, but we have to allow ourselves to be okay with not feeling inspired. you and your wellbeing are way more important than a concept.knowing the difference between pressure + aspiration
this is super important to me, so let me break it down.
pressure is what we feel when there are non-negotiables in our brain. the conditions may be: people need to like this. this needs to be super creative. this has to be unique. this must be better than my last.
aspiration is what we feel when we are moving toward growth, and betterment of self.
that being said, when aspiration takes a turn and instead of asking yourself: how can i grow and learn through this? you ask yourself: why do i keep failing? we blur the lines and the pressure becomes too much to bear. you should not feel pressure when you are goal-setting and being future-minded. practice thinking of becoming more creative as growth rather than trying to keep up with other people. comparison is the thief of joy.forcing inspiration makes creativity a burden
when i asked to hear about people’s experience with inspiration, musician tory floyd (@thetoryfloyd) wrote me and said:
”my human nature wants to rush creativity and move on to the next thing (like collecting badges). but when i don’t try to force it and just surrender to seeking it, the external and internal have space to work together without it becoming a burden.”
i couldn’t say this better myself. there is no finish line or awards ceremony where you are going to count your badges and compare with the people next to you.what NOT to do when you just aren’t feeling it
short and simple: DON’T DO ANYTHING CREATIVE! take a break. cuddle your dog, watch netflix, go to the gym, take a nap. just give yourself a break.how your mindset can aid your creative process
mind over matter. we hear this all the time, but this is how it applies to being a creative human being. affirm in yourself that you are creative and that you are able. very often, you will end your day in your bed and sigh a sigh of satisfaction because of all that you accomplished if you tell yourself what you want to get done. my friend and fellow content creator keely (@keelyrwillis) said she gives herself a pep talk before bed, going over everything she wants to get done and assuring herself the next day will be great. she told me she always wakes up in a good mood after going to sleep on that note.
my biggest piece of advice, though: be gentle with yourself. the beauty of a list of things you want to accomplish is that it can roll over to the next day.“inspiration does not have to be exceedingly meaningful”
one of the best people i know, who i also went to college with, spoke a ton of truth to me on this matter. so this section is JUST going to be what she said because i believe in it so much.
”there’s a delicate balance, at least for me. seeking out inspiration is very important, but then also letting things come to you is as well. working through a bout of artistic “constipation” is a way i deal with this, but over-working leads to burnout. you just gotta ride the wave. the best thing i’ve found (and this has been difficult for a person that thrives on doing a million things at once) is to slow down a tiny bit to be actively receptive to everything. there are so many things to inspire us all around. heck, even making work about feeling nothing or being “uninspired” is motivation to create. when in doubt, just make, make, MAKE.”
- lauren goldenberg, fine artist (@laurengoldenberg)saying no to social media + pressure
i do not like when people say, “just stop comparing yourself to others and you will be better off” because i freaking know that. don’t get me wrong, it’s great advice. but does anyone, ANYONE, actually walk around and not worry about what other people are doing??? no! we are human beings who see success and want it, who see failure and rejoice that it wasn’t us, and who constantly seek what we do not yet have. the best thing that we can do is not to expect ourselves to stop comparing, because realistically we will always struggle. the best thing that we can do is to shut down our comparisons WHEN they come. combat your insecurities and comparisons with affirmations of self.
don’t think about why someone has more followers than you, or why someone’s music is more popular, or why someone seems to have no problem making great things all the time and you struggle. instead, think about how far you have come.“inspired” is not a personality trait
just think about that. think of 3 words to describe yourself. you are not sitting there thinking: kind, generous and INSPIRED. inspired isn’t a trait, friends—it is a gift; so welcome it when it comes, and accept when it goes away.
where you are, right now, is right. i am taking a big breath in, and back out. now you try. repeat this 2-3 times:
i am my own unique and creative being. waves of inspiration do not define me.
save the graphic below and share to your instagram story if this made you feel comfort.
love you.
-B.
