Where to Find Inspiration

Lately, as you might have noticed from the lack of these posts, I’ve been feeling a little uninspired when it comes to my blog and creative outlets. So, I decided to go back to the drawing board and think about where I can always find inspiration.

In today’s society of fast-paced living and social media, it hardly feels like we have any time alone to ourselves to think, let alone find inspiration. I’ve fallen into that trap myself, going to work Monday-Friday, coming home, scrolling mindlessly through social media, watching TV, waking up and doing it all over again. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job and the work I do on a daily basis. I also love how we purposefully set aside time for sharing what inspires us. But I also see how easy it is to lose track of what inspires me in life. If I don’t set aside time to become inspired, I find that I feel less creative and lose my motivation to do anything but what’s required of me for “adulting.”

So, that begs the question, “Where do I get my inspiration in life?” The below sources of inspiration light a fire in my soul and get my creative juices flowing. Hopefully, they help you find your inspiration too.

Reading Books

There’s something I love about being transported to another world. When I read fiction, my mind works differently—I get wrapped up in someone else’s thoughts and life. This changed way of thinking gets my mind working in a new way.

Reading Newsletters

Much like I do with my weekend reads series, newsletters curate the most interesting and/or relevant content out there. I’m not exactly sure how many newsletters I subscribe to, but it’s definitely a lot. Ranging from current events, world news, marketing and business developments and blogs, I get anywhere from 3-6 newsletters in my inbox every day.

Because all my newsletters are so up-to-date with current events, I usually find something cool and new to be inspired by or some really cool articles I strongly identify with.

Perusing Magazines

Along the same lines, magazines. They’re a new source of inspiration for me but I’m loving them! if you go into my room, you’ll see my favourite pages tacked to my inspiration board—my collection of the prettiest imagery or the most attention-grabbing stories and quotes.

Art

Is there anything more inspiring than walking through an art gallery or spending an afternoon in a museum? Looking at art sparks creative thinking and what could be more inspiring than looking at the work of artists, who are quite possibly more inspired than anyone out there?

Practicing Gratitude & Positive Visualisation

I’m 1000% prone to negative thinking and negative thought patterns. I wake up sometimes and, without reason, just have it in my mind that it’s not going to be a good day. Or, one small bad (not really) thing happens and my mind starts to spiral into “well if this tiny not-actually-bad thing happened, then all of these bad things will happen” thought pattern.

When I start to notice this happening, I can [usually] stop it by thinking about or writing down what I am thankful for, thinking or saying my mantras or just noticing the good things around me. This doesn’t always go to plan, but when it does, I feel inspired, happy and at peace.

Other Blogs

As a blogger, I get a lot of my inspiration from other blogs. Bloglovin’ (follow me here!!) curates the most recent posts of all my favourites. Some bloggers that always leave me inspired and wanting more are Holly from The Simple Things, Claire from All Mad Here, and Laura and Claire from Twins That Travel.

Wandering

Wandering has always been a part of my daily life and travels. On Friday, it took me over an hour to get home because I wandered from Times Square to Bryant Park, over to the UN and then up to my apartment. That walk left me feeling more inspired than I have in awhile. Wandering, with or without my music playing or my camera out, is a failsafe way to leave me feeling creative, refreshed and inspired.

Where do you find your inspiration?