My Current Inspiration + Tips on Getting Inspired

A few weeks ago, I asked for feedback on Instagram stories regarding what blog post topics my audience is most interested in reading. My friend and fellow influencer, Nerrissa, asked me to share what is inspiring me at the moment and when I took a poll many others were interested in this topic as well. Now that 2020 is in full swing, and many people are working harder at their goals and resolutions at the beginning of the year, I thought it would be a great time to share what is currently inspiring me. There are 3 main things that have been inspiring me lately: a new + updated website, the start of a new decade, and you! We all go through creative ruts, so if you’re having trouble finding the motivation for creativity I hope that sharing my perspective and tips will help.

I recently relaunched my website and graduated college which have been huge inspirations to me. I had been wanting to create a new website for a long time, but was focusing my energy in other spaces. About 2 months after I graduated, I purchased a new membership with Squarespace. Prior to switching over, I had been using Weebly ever since I created my first website in 2015. I hadn’t written blog posts consistently for a long time, but as soon as I switched over to a new site my creative juices began flowing freely again. Expressing myself in written form has always been a passion of mine that is truly therapeutic. I graduated with my BA in Humanities on May 28, 2019, and for many years the majority of the writing I was doing was for educational purposes. While I loved my major and am passionate about the subjects I studied, I hadn't written for self-expression or artistic purposes in a long time. Graduating gave me more time to blog and making a new website allowed me to feel even more refreshed which first led to my current feelings of inspiration.

While I believe in constant change, progression, and self-evolution, celebrating the start of 2020 has brought additional inspiration to me. There’s something about a new year that is so magical and makes me feel even more excited for pursuing growth and change. I love seeing my peers online or in real life setting positive intentions and making an extra effort to pursue paths that will better themselves inside and out. I love that we are able to reflect on our accomplishments and make improvements to achieve upcoming goals along with others. It creates a true sense of solidarity that I feel is very uplifting in a world community that extends beyond online platforms.

The third thing that has been inspiring me is reconnecting with my audience and becoming consistent with my online presence again. Now that I have graduated and have a better handle on my chronic illness, I want to focus on nurturing the existing connections and continue being inspired by my audience. Truthfully, for the last few months I have been consumed by comparison which has left me feeling jealous and insecure because I am not fully satisfied with where I’m at in my career. I have been focusing on how being a student until I was 29 and living with chronic urticaria has “held me back” rather than transforming these life experiences into power. Right now, I am doing my best to not let these insecurities get in the way of the beautiful community that already exists. This blog post itself began with an IG stories conversation (and many future blog posts will be as well because I wrote all of the suggestions down). I am grateful to be apart of a group that is interested in my opinions, perspectives, and world view because it took me along time to find my voice and even longer to learn how to express it. You give me purpose. I wouldn’t be sitting here writing this without you and I cannot lose sight of that support when I feel discouraged- I have to allow the accountability I have to my current platform keep me motivated.

If you are struggling to find inspiration or motivation I have 3 tips to jumpstart your creative engine: rest, reconnect, and take a leap. I am most inspired when I feel balanced and “everything is in order”. If something is internally or externally out of whack, I cannot fully focus on my craft. If you are lacking inspiration, often times other aspects of our lives need nurturing. This is a great time to step back, take a break from something that is consuming a lot of your energy, and begin brainstorming adjustments that need to be made. If you are able to evaluate what is lacking and what is getting too much of your energy then you can adjust accordingly and begin traveling down a more balanced path. Once you establish the changes that need to be made, you can begin reconnecting with your “why”. It is ideal to reconnect with why you began your hobby or craft in the first place and reevaluate how you want to continue. Once you reconnect and reevaluate, the solidifying factor is to take a leap and try something new. It is nearly impossible to accomplish new results by pursuing the same path which is why change has to happen. Ultimately, for inspiration to be fully ignited you must add something new to the equation. The change does not have to be extreme, it could be one small thing you do each day. Small steps lead to beautiful places. It can be anything that will aid in your self development or bring you peace of mind so that you can feel open to creativity again. The point is to simply take the first leap in a new direction.

I hope that sharing my current inspiration + tips on getting inspired will help those in a creative rut and that sharing my thought process inspires and internal dialogue that digs a little deeper. I would love to hear if you are going to try these tips to reignite your creativity or learn about how you already stay inspired! Let me know in the comments below or send me a message on Instagram via DM or stories.