Sometimes the words just fly onto the Evernote work. Ain’t it wonderful? Then there are those times, probably more often than we care to admit or remember, when no words will come. And sometimes deadlines are approaching – the anxiety over that alone is enough to shut that gray matter right down. When blocks hit, writers need to find inspiration somewhere. Unfortunately, it is probably not found within the four walls of their office or home – the same furniture, wall décor, window views, etc. That inspiration comes from within, of course, but it can be triggered by evens, experiences and things that may be quite unlikely. If you can’t find your inspiration, here are 43 hacks to try.
The Noun Jar:
Put lots of nouns on paper in a jar. Pull a noun out and then make up a story in Evernote about it. This may have no relation to the topic on which you must write, but it will get your creativity moving. Writing alone can inspire more writing.
Children’s Books:
These are filled with fantasy or lovely little moral lessons. Immersing yourself in these can sometimes stimulate a thought about an angle you might take in your writing.
Blogs:
Obviously, if you need to write a post or an article on a specific topic, reading what others have written can inspire a new thought on the same topic. Try to sketch list of topics in Evernote and blend them to unique one.
Phone a Friend:
This used to be an option for a popular game show when a contestant wasn’t sure about an answer. Call the most creative, funniest, or ADHD friend you know. The conversation will be lively and you may get a flash of an idea.
Walk through a Big Box Store:
One of the things about these huge superstores is that they have such a huge variety of items and objects, a person can walk around and look at colors, designs, and gadgets and just let their mind wander.
Go to a Museum:
It doesn’t have to be an art museum. There are museums of history, science, etc. that can be quite inspiring. Imagine yourself living in the times of what you are observing. Create a story in your mind. Sometimes, this will give you a start even for a totally unrelated topic on which you must write.
Eavesdrop:
Go to a café or restaurant, order a beverage and just listen in to conversations going on around you. This can stimulate some creativity, especially if you try to make up a back story for the people. Take your tablet or laptop with you and begin to write in Evernote.
Re-Read Passages from Books You Love:
Everyone has his/her favorite authors. You read those authors because they do inspire you. What ideas can you get from them now that will help to jolt you out of your own block. Also, you can try writing an essay about your favorite book in Evernote. It is essential when you searching for inspiration, to write something about what you love.
Access Online Magazines:
There are so many magazines now – find those related to your topic of writing or totally unrelated. Sometimes an article that is just of great interest may stimulate some creative thought on your part.
Watch Some Commercials:
Commercials today have become quite creative – the lines, the cinematography, the characters’ facial expressions. Sometimes, even a humorous line can provide inspiration.
Music:
Listening to all types of music, whether instrumental or vocal, can allow the mind to move in many directions. When that happens, an inspirational thought can just pop up.
Write, Write, Write:
Freewriting is a common suggestion, but just because it is common doesn’t mean it won’t work. Many writers swear by this, stating that if they just sit down and begin freewriting in Evernote anything, they will eventually move themselves to the task at hand.
Identify Good Forums:
What forums appeal to individuals varies greatly. But find those that appeal to you and check in on them often. While forums are generally created for information and ideas, some contributors are quite creative and may inspire some new thought in you too.
Read Quotes:
If you have a topic for writing, you can Google “Quotes on _____” and pull up quotations from others related to it. For example, suppose you need to write a blog post on healthy eating. There are zillions of quotes on food and eating that can provide you with some inspiration. Write up catchy quotes in Evernote and try to play with them.
Spend Time with Children:
Even if you don’t have children of your own, you may have nieces and nephews or children of other relatives you can talk with. They have such a wonderful outlook on life and their innocence and honesty can be quite inspiring.
Visit a Bakery:
Stimulating our senses is an important part of inspiration. The more sense we can involve, the more creative we tend to be. In a bakery, the sense of smell is wonderful and can even bring back forgotten memories that may inspire an opening for a piece of writing.
Study Writings from Religious/Spiritual Leaders:
You by yourself may not be a religious person. However, there are wonderful ideas and thoughts from religious leaders and philosophers that can be inspiring. Find one or two that speak to you and read their writings when you are stuck.
Keep a Journal in Evernote:
if you do this consistently, when you are experiencing a block, you can read through your journal in Evernote for ideas.
A Favorite Movie:
All of us have movies that have inspired us for one reason or another. Sometimes, reliving that inspiration is just what might be needed to bring some new inspiration now. You may see something new that triggers an idea.
Join an Online Writing Group:
If you are a regular member of a writing group, this is the perfect place to go when you lack inspiration for any type of writing. Put it out there for your group members to chew on and provide you with ideas.
Dreams:
Every writer should write down his/her dreams in Evernote when they wake up in the morning. You may have been dancing through a grocery store with a famous actor/actress – write it down, including any dialogue you can remember. These may provide inspiration at a future time when you most need it.
Look for Human Interest Stories in the News:
The best blog posts often begin with an anecdotal story. Keep an eye out for human interest stories in the newspapers – on or offline. Jot them down – they can provide an inspirational opening for an article or post you may need to write.
Works of Art:
You can Google great works of art and set, get a full-screen image of them and just reflect upon them – the statue of David, Van Gogh’s Starry Night, a Picasso or an Andy Warhol. Even cartoon and anime figures can provide inspiration.
Nature:
There are some amazing sights all around you, no matter where you may live. Sunrises and sunsets; cloud formations, a daisy up close, the feathered mimosa flower; a caterpillar. If there is water nearby, even a creek, go stand by it and listen. Inspiration for a great deal of music, art, and literature has come from nature.
Coloring Books:
Adult coloring books are the new “rage” for relieving anxiety and stress. They can also be inspirational for writing, because you are taking yu mind off of what you are stuck on and into a creative endeavor of an entirely different sort. Creativity breeds inspiration.
Get Out a Microscope:
Just as the big picture of nature can be inspiring, so can the minute elements. Study a drop of water, a piece of a leaf, a drop of blood – each of them will provide awe, and with awe, inspiration can come.
Exercise:
One of the great things about exercise is that you can let your mind wander all over the place while you are jogging, walking, lifting weights, etc. It is during these wanderings that creative juices can begin to flow and inspiration may bubble up.
Upset Your Schedule:
If you go a certain way to work or to the grocery store, take the long way for a change of scenery. Sometimes, just seeing different homes, streets, people and buildings can inspire new thinking.
Watch a New Television Show:
Everyone has his/her favorites in terms of regular television series. For a change, watch a show that you haven’t watched before. One writer got her inspiration for a short story just by observing on of the characters from the TV series “Two Bork Girls.”
People Watch:
It’s a great and creative activity to sit and watch other people, whether that is at a park or a mall. Make up stories about them. If you are struggling for inspiration for a blog post, create a story in Evernote about an observed person that will relate to your post topic.
Read About a Great Historical Figure:
National and international heroes throughout history can be inspiring – Gandhi, Da Vinci, Martin Luther King, Jack Kennedy, Max Planck, Helen Keller. Their stories will inspire you.
Go to the Zoo:
if you have a zoo nearby, visit it. Stop and reflect, as you see animals interact socially. Watch their movements, the way they eat, and the way in which they interact with their peers, their offspring, etc. Think of a way to tie in an animal with a topic you are struggling with.
Read Poetry:
People have many different tastes when it comes to poetry. Whether you like Haiku, the humor of Shel Silverstein, the iambic pentameter of Shakespeare, or the simplicity of Robert Frost, there are life lessons and ideas n poetry that can inspire your own writing.
Contact a Writing Service:
Companies such as Essay Supply College Service have entire departments of creative writers. You can throw a topic to them and let a personal assistant help you with some great topic ideas.
Use Topic Generator Tools/Apps:
There are a host of title and topic generator apps. You can find them through a Google search. Just type in a keyword or two, and you can get hundreds of ideas – while you don’t want to use the specific titles that are generated, some may give you just enough inspiration to get you going on your own original piece.
Eat Some New and Unique Foods:
There are probably any number of foods that you have not ever tried – Mediterranean, Indian, Middle Eastern, etc. Go to a restaurant and try them. The smells and tastes will often get your own creativity flowing.
Attend a “Foreign” Church Service:
If you are Jewish, attend a Catholic mass; if you are Catholic, attend a Baptist church service. Observe the rituals and the practices. Getting outside of your own comfort zone often generates new ideas from within that can provide a start point for your writing.
Get a Mind-Mapping Tool:
There are any number of free ones online. If you have a topic or an idea for an article or a story, use the tool to brainstorm – have some fun by just entering even the most ridiculous elements you can think of. From all of this, you may just find some inspiring thoughts.
Listen to Great Speeches:
You can pull up inspirational speeches online and listen to them being delivered. Don’t just read them – listen to them, by video if possible. The words, the gestures, and facial expressions of the speakers can stimulate new ideas within you too – ideas that can become the start points for what you want/need to write in Evernote.
Clean Your House/Office:
Yes, by doing this rather mindless task, you can allow your mind to wander with aimless thinking. During these aimless thought periods, inspiration can come like a bullet.
The Circle Exercise:
Fill an entire sheet of paper with circles. Then, draw as many things using those circles as possible. You will probably begin with the rather common things, like a smiley face, but, as you continue, you will find yourself getting more creative with those circles. As your creativity continues to be stimulated, you may indeed come to an “aha” moment relative to how you can begin your piece of writing in Evernote.
Browse Amazing Photography:
Flickr is a great online source to view great photography, an exercise that of itself can be pretty inspiring. You may just come across a photograph that sparks the thought you need to get started on the piece you need to write in your Evernote.
Use Current Events:
No matter what your writing topic, keep an eye out for a current event that could be tied into it, even remotely. There may be inspirational stories of people recovering from a natural disaster, for example. You may be tasked with writing a blog post for a home improvement company. Get creative and find a way to tie the two together.
Inspiration may come from the most unlikely places. The key to great and prolific writing is to have as many experiences as possible, to commit those experiences to memory, often in writing, and then to have a large pool of events and experiences from which to draw when you face a writing task.
