In this “Information Age,” we can devour all kinds of different creative media.  We can scour the web for new photographers, research the latest in emerging fashion designers, see an artist’s work before it ever hits a gallery and read our favorite writer’s blog in between books just to get a taste of their every day lives.

With all this information at our ever-so-restless fingertips , it’s easy to feel overloaded. Forcing too much “creative inspiration” into our minds can have the opposite affect we were searching for. Sometimes it puts out our fire.

But momentarily losing your motivation to do that thang you do isn’t the end of the world. Every creative individual experiences it from time to time–& they all bounce back, too. How, you ask? Here’s some ideas for getting your groove back:

Imitate. Let’s face it:  Every writer is a copy cat, in one way or another.  There’s no such thing as a totally original, completely unique piece of writing. There are limited words in the English language. There are limited formations of sentences. “Creative imitation”–as I’ve dubbed it–not only exists, but it is also a natural part of what it means to be a creative person.  Try to do something like one of your idols. Check out books from your favorite author.  Try to re-create the design, texture or style of an artist you admire.  Inevitably, you’ll end up adding your own flavor to whatever you’re creating–& learning what does and doesn’t work for you.

Make a Pandora station for a band you’ve never listened to.

Change your medium. This is one piece of tried-and-true advice that I swear by.  Expressing myself with words (those things I claim to love oh-so-much!) sometimes gets stale. But, if I do something different–like design a website, make a collage or try my hand at GarageBand– I usually get a little flow going & before I know it, I feel inspired again!

Drink a glass of wine. A nerve-soothing glass of wine works like a charm to inspire creativity.  Alcohol lowers your inhibitions just enough to free your mind of some of those nasty, negative perfectionist thoughts. In turn, it allows your ideas to flow more naturally. Plus, it’s turns off (or at the very least, turns down the volume!) of that little nagging, scrutinizing, shitty voice in your head that tells you’re no good at whatever you’re doing.

Just DO Something. Get up. Get active. (Read my latest Brain Sex column where I talk about the benefits of just doing it-no matter what it is.)

Read someone’s private diary. Anais Nin, Anne Frank, and even strangers on Xanga or Livejournal have provided me with lots of creative fuel.

Abandon your original plan. If something just isn’t working, don’t be afraid to abandon ship.  Search Wikipedia about subject that has absolutely nothing to do with what you’re working on (or eh, want to work on), but has always made you perk up & listen more intently when it’s brought up in conversation.  Watch a movie from your past that made you feel like life was magical (you know those, right? Like Peter Pan or The Little Princess?), or rent one you’ve always wanted to see (suggestions: Factory Girl, White Oleander & Girl, Interrupted always get my mind moving).

Pick an emotion you’re not currently feeling– & pull it into your work.

Obsess, obsess, obsess. Immerse yourself in whatever subject lights your heart up & makes you forget about all your other responsibilities. When I was a teenager, I had a few very intense interests–& that’s it. Consequently, my writing, dress and personality completely reflected these obsessions. I wrote like the love child of my idols, FLB, C. Love & Sylvia, seamlessly blending their styles into a voice partly my own (case-in-point, my Xanga from back then). I incorporated elements of all my quirky interests into my daily activities (practicing magick spells, writing poetry by candle light, hanging out with junkies). Although I don’t advocate the last part, I think it’s really fun to be obsessed with something, as long as it’s not going to get your hurt (like those 13-year-old girls who fight on message boards about who is going to marry Justin Bieber. Don’t lie, you know what I mean.)  Productive obsession, like immersing yourself in writing for an entire evening, is actually good for you.

Make peace with your inner demons.

But don’t believe the hype that all creative types are manic, depressive or just plain insane. I wrote a post, Where’s the Beauty in Burning Out? which touched on this absolutely ridiculous notion that all writers, artists & thinkers are (or need to be) locked up in asylums somewhere. Not true, not true at all! (Though I will admit, I do think creatives are a little weirder than the average human, but in a totally intriguing way. Whenever I meet someone who is doing something creative, I instantly know that what I see is not necessarily what I get with them.)

Spend some quality time alone. The #1 habit of all creative people, according to Leo Babuata at zen habits, is solitude.

Stop worrying about whether others will “get it” — instead, aim to make them think. They don’t have to “get” it for it to be good writing. Sometimes, my favorite writing is absolutely a mess (House of Leaves by Daniel Z. Danielewski, anyone?), but it’s that reckless messiness that makes it so textured & fun to read. All my journalism classes stressed the importance of simplicity–& yes, if you’re writing the front page story for a newspaper, you better make sense. But if you’re writing (or drawing/sculpting/jewelry-making/glass-blowing/collaging/designing outfits for mythical mermaids), mix it up a little. Throw in something that will totally confuse the hell out of your audience–& feel the creative juices start to pour in.

Drink more water, take your vitamins & get a pedicure. Nourish your body & relax.

Dig into your old love notes. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know I’ve been my most passionate/creative when I was in the midst of a deep love affair. I think it might have something to do with the obsession thing–it’s been proven that love alters brain activity.  Essentially, we’re all a little Crazy in Love.

People watch. We’re all so strange & diverse–and so much fun to watch.  My old creative writing teacher told us to go sit in a crowded area with a notebook & pick an interesting looking character from the crowd & write a story either from their point of view or about them. Get out of yourself & your experiences for a little bit & explore what it might be like in someone else’s shoes.

Unplug. Several years ago, I read a lot more books, newspapers & other print materials.  I was constantly immersed in the works of Francesca Lia Block, viewing the art of Dali & listening to whatever records I could find in my parent’s basement, along with whatever vapid, awful music was on the radio.  It’s really creatively stimulating to “get back to basics” – print newspapers, books, magazines, records – you name it.

Drink a Soy Frappucinno. Or your fave caffeinated drink.  Caffeine, in small doses, has been proven to spark creativity.  My Drugs & Behavior professor (yes, we actually had that class!) said that humans do perform at higher levels on some caffeine, but that if too much is consumed, we actually perform worse than we would without it–so be careful with this one!

What ways do you sugar plums get the inspiration to do what you do?

P.S. Expect another post from me tonight or tomorrow about another project I’m involved in–The Printed Blog.  Bloggers should definitely check back for this super exciting announcement!

Topics: Inspiration | 6 Comments »