Sometimes, as a creative business owner, we can feel a little like our muse has left town for a little vacation. We might even begin to think she moved away and didn’t leave a forwarding address.
Creating every day can be a challenge some days. There are days when you feel like you don’t have new idea left and you struggle to come up with even the smallest amount of inspiration.
Here are 30 ideas to help prime the pump and get the ideas flowing again.
Creative Inspiration:
1. Keep a box near your work area labeled “scraps” add little bits of fabric, an odd button, a nearly empty tube of paint; all of the little odds and ends your work creates. Then challenge yourself to create something from your scrap box.
2. Keep an idea journal, nothing fancy, just a place to jot ideas down for future use. When you feel stuck, flip quickly through the journal. Something will catch your eye.
3. Draw a still life in your journal with your eyes closed.
4. Place a piece of packing tape over a photocopy/magazine image and rub off the paper backing with a wet sponge. Create something with that image.
5. Use a supply that you haven’t used in at least 6 months.
6. Go to your supply shelf, close your eyes and put your finger on something. Create with that.
7. What is the third holiday from today? Make something for that holiday. Now you’re ahead of the game!
8. If you normally work large – work small and if you normally work small – work large.
9. Use the colors from your cereal box to start your next project.
10. Grab an old magazine and tear it up. See what you can create with the pieces.
11. Sharpen your pencils, grab your Micron pens and magnifying glass, and work REALLY small.
12. Accept that even when a piece doesn’t turn out “right” you still learned something! Go back to it and see what else you can make of it. Don’t be afraid to deconstruct it and make something entirely different.
13. Go to the craft store and only walk the aisles you don’t usually walk in. DO NOT visit your usual aisles. Get yourself a coffee or ice cream and go back to work.
14. Clean off your work table. You’ll see bits and pieces lying there that will inspire you. What about UNDER the table?
15. Spend 15 minutes writing. Don’t think; just write. Sometimes you simply need to “unclog” your brain to get the ideas flowing again. Don’t worry, you can toss or even burn what you wrote if you want/need to.
16. Use colors on the opposite side of the color wheel from your usual palette.
17. Take a few minutes to make your own stamp by carving an eraser with a craft knife. You can use this stamp to decorate your packages or post cards.
18. Sit down, close your eyes and breathe deeply and slowly while you count to 100.
19. Go outside and lay on the grass, walk the dog, weed the flower bed.
20. Buy a bouquet of flowers for yourself. There is an amazing amount of inspiration in flowers.
21. Read a bit about a hobby you’ve never tried; bee keeping, organic farming, yoga, mountain climbing. Get your brain out of your studio for a break.
22. Have lunch with a friend.
23. Turn it all off – the radio, television, and internet – total silence.
24. Look out the window; list all the colors you see. Create with those.
25. If you normally make one of a kind pieces try making 3 of the same thing today. Production work makes you think differently.
26. Spend 15 minutes cleaning up your work area. Sometimes our spaces just get too cluttered to think.
27. Listen to music that isn’t usually on your play list. You can borrow music from the library or at pandora.com for free.
28. Everyone should have an inspiration file with photos from magazines of homes, rooms, décor that you love; flip through your file and create something from a room you love. Or start an inspiration file.
29. Start a gratitude journal. Write 3-5 things a day that you are thankful for. Visit your journal either when you need inspiration or you are feeling badly.
30. Cut this list of ideas apart. One idea per strip, fold them up and put them in an “Inspiration Jar”. When you feel you need some inspiration pull an idea and just do it. Don’t think. Do it!
I’d love for you to add to the list in the comments section. Let’s inspire each other! 🙂
By: Vicki O’Dell, The Creative Goddess
You can find more of Vicki’s article right here on her profile page!
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Thanks for this! Lot’s of new things to do to get inspired!!
Thanks for the ideas, I sometimes go thrift store shopping, buy something cheap and recreate it!
Sometimes I’ll make a collage of my favorite things or colors and then hang it up on the wall for inspiration!
Thank you so much for this. I have struggling with creating new jewellery over the past week. It just hasn’t been happening! I have been reading your article and I am now off to organise my workspace and be my creative hat on!
Think of someone you really admire and create a special piece with their taste and color palette in mind.
Also, if inspiration just isn’t flowing, go to local boutiques or an art gallery. When something draws your attention, notice the colors, textures and patterns and use that to be the foundation of your next piece.
Visit a garden. Take a long bath or shower. Look at art books. Make a personal talisman for yourself and while you think about what qualities you want to have it represent, you’ll discover your talisman’s theme and let that be your guide in choosing your elements.
Try a new technique – you’ll learn something new and you’ll look at your “stash” from a different perspective.
Read some poetry and create a piece to represent the essence of your favorite poem.