Get Inspired

1. First, take a moment to breathe and reflect on your goal. Do you want to write a poem? Do you want to write a short story? This step may take some time, and you should be relaxed while you think. You won't be able to think properly if you're anxious about something or if you just generally have other things on your mind. Try to be comfortable physically and emotionally, as much as you can.


2. Try jotting down ideas that you have thought of previously. Try to recall thoughts that you have had that you found particularly interesting, and branch out from those thoughts with more complex analysis. For example, if you thought of a cool way to get around, decide just what makes your transportation work.

3. Look around you, wherever you are, and see if you notice anything that stands out to you as interesting. Try not to be "looking for something". Just think deeply about your surroundings. Remember, if it causes any emotion whatsoever, it is probably a good source of inspiration.



4. Don't take yourself too seriously. You can focus on other things whilst waiting for inspiration to come. In fact, I don't think it should even be classed as "waiting". You're just prepared. You don't need to sift through thousands of "inspirational" quotes or "motivational" posters. Remember, relax.

5. Don't go desperately hunting for it. Do you think corporate tycoons think up their million-dollar business plans in 5 minutes flat? Of course not. Try too hard to find inspiration and you'll only end up stressed with a headache, or at most a sloppy idea.

6. Your source of inspiration may not be made of matter. Often, the most inspirational of concepts or ideas can be found only in your mind. Think of a certain memory you have of a circumstance or situation. Also, think of things that you feel strongly about or of moral opinions that you may have. War, religion, politics, relationships, death, etc.

7.Enrich yourself. All ideas start as tiny seeds in a person's mind. Of course, many of them die quickly. Try to plant as many of these seeds as you can by enriching yourself with media. Listen to music, watch videos, read books, analyze articles and try new things every day.

8. Don't over-think things. If you have an idea or feel inspired, hold onto that. Keep what you have simple. Don't be constantly trying to expand it - instead, just relax and think about it in its current form.

9. Once you have an idea that you find interesting or emotional, close your eyes and picture exactly what it is that you are thinking about. Then imagine yourself observing this idea from the outside. See the idea as a whole, and note how it makes you feel. Don't pursue your inspiration if it doesn't interest you. For example, just because something football-related inspires you, if you're not interested in football, let it pass or even tell it to a friend who is interested in football.

10. Once you feel that you have captured the essence of your idea, produce a rough outline on paper with more ideas relating to your main source.

11. Don't quit. When something gets hard or tedious or you just decide you've had enough of it, leave it alone and come back to it later. Don't just abandon it. This way, if you feel like it at another time, you can always come back to it. Keep all of these ideas in one place and in no time you should have a reservoir of old, interesting ideas that you can look back on.

12. Organize and apply. If you're messy with your time, you're going to end up with a messy head. Create yourself a timetable to manage your time and organize what you need to do. This will help you get on top of everything, even in those sticky situations where your "to-do" list is sixteen pages long.

13. Exercise your creativity and embrace your source of inspiration. Fill out your idea, and find a place for it in your work!

14. Set yourself reachable goals. Don't get in over your head. Think about what is achievable, think about which of these things you would be proud of achieving, come up with a reasonable solution for reaching this goal and then set out on it. By accomplishing these goals, you'll be proving that you can accomplish the things you want to and you'll hopefully have something to show for your efforts.