Inspiration Is Literally Everywhere; You Just Need to Know Where to Look

Image: Vitória Santos/Pexels

My sister raced to turn off the lights.

Soul had been playing for about 15 minutes. The film seemed like typical Pixar — until it wasn’t. The film’s protagonist, Joe, plays the piano when he gets lost in the “zone,” as the film calls it. The background fades into a dazzling display of purple as he falls deeper into the music.

I was hooked. The film continued to inspire me, and soon after, I began drawing up ideas for an article. The resulting piece ended up being one of the favorite things I’ve written.

When you rely on creativity, it can sometimes feel sparse. But creative inspiration is everywhere; you just need help finding it.

Watch a Master at Work

I recently watched Canelo Saul Alavarez’s brutal TKO stoppage of Billy Saunders. When slowed down, Canelo’s movement and ability are a sight to behold. He moves with guile and punches with immense power.

He truly is a boxing master.

Watching someone master their craft is an easy way to inspire you to master yours. Witnessing someone at the pinnacle of their game shows that if it’s possible for them, it’s possible for you.

Perhaps a beginner will look at your work and feel that same awe-inspired rush to succeed one day.

Idolize Your Past Self

When an article of mine is going viral, whether from last week or six months ago, I make sure to read it a few times.

Sometimes, once I’ve written, edited, and published an article, I forget about it. I’ll remember what it’s about, but the fine details? Not so much. So, when a piece does well, I need to see what makes it tick.

I compliment myself and admire a well-written, successful piece. It makes me feel more confident about my writing ability which I can take into the following article.

Idolizing your past achievements is a readily accessible way to boost your current level of performance. You did it once. You can do it again.

Think About How Stupid You Were 6 Months Ago

On the flip side, you can look at yourself through a critical lens.

Sure, there are many articles I’m proud of, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t change anything about them.

So I experimented. I went through my drafts and dug up rejected articles from seven months ago. I had disregarded them as not good enough, but this time I decided to fix them. I edited, polished, and published.

It felt great to see how my approach to writing has changed.

When you see how far you’ve come, you can admire how much you have improved. You can also know if you disagree with what you wrote and perhaps create an article offering a different opinion.

Break the Rules

When you read most articles, especially on Medium, you’ll notice they all have introductions, just as this piece does. So it would make sense to continue the tradition if you were starting.

That’s precisely why you shouldn’t.

Breaking the rules a little can give you an experimental type of inspiration. Start without an introduction, or change up the style altogether. It’s your choice.

If anything, it gives you a bit of direction. Sometimes, that’s all you need to power through a creative plateau.

Let Your Fingers Do the Work

When I was playing football as a kid, the coaches would always say one thing: “Let the ball do the work.” The ball will always move quicker than you can, so passing is much more effective than dribbling. The same principle applies here.

Once you start, you can keep going. It’s a snowball effect.

Sometimes, the only inspiration you need is to get started. That’s often the most challenging part of the day. However, once you do start, you’ll likely keep going.

Pretend You’re Pitching a Hollywood Film

If you want to make a stand-out Hollywood movie, you need to make something original. It’s always refreshing when an original film comes out. Most recently, films like A Quiet Place and Moonlight spring to mind.

Act as if you’ve got a room full of seasoned Hollywood producers to impress. How would you ensure you’re not forgotten immediately? Mindsets like this help free some creativity from your frozen brain and thrusting it into the limelight.

You can take this mindset a step further. A lot of Hollywood movies are similar — they follow identical plot lines and character tropes. Audiences want something they’ll remember. Imagine you’re sat in the cinema watching movie trailers; what do you look for? What stands out?

Get into the mindset of the people who are going to consume and judge your work. Write for them.

Learn to Be an Impulse Creator

When I studied English literature at school, I seldom planned my essays. I worked better off the cuff — I’d just pick up a pen and go. It worked, as I regularly achieved 100%.

Sometimes, creative work needs to be let loose. It’s a dragon in chains. A wolf in a pen. A river that needs room to flow.

If you have an impulse, whether it be a whiff of an idea or a full-on headline, just roll with it. Your brain might surprise you.

Creative inspiration is everywhere. It’s hidden on the TV screen, laced within a conversation, and often buried deep within yourself. And it’s begging to be found.

So, for quick reference:

• Watch a master at work.
• Idolize your past self.
• Think about how stupid you were six months ago.
• Break the rules.
• Let your fingers do the work.
• Pretend you’re pitching a Hollywood film.
• Learn to be an impulse creator.

It doesn’t need to be an overwhelming epiphany. Moments of inspiration are often tiny. It’s how you flesh them out that matters.

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