Just as a car needs gas to drive, inspiration is the fuel that powers writers. Writers are idea generators. We make the complicated simple. We transform people’s thoughts. However, none of that can happen without inspiration—it’s the juice that keeps writers going.
But how do you get inspired? Many people think of inspiration as a dramatic, eureka moment that strikes you randomly. Sometimes that can happen, but to me, inspiration is something I can constantly seek out and find. It's the tiny moments throughout the day when I see or hear something that makes me think. To get my brain to think about things in a different way, I spend extra time observing little details in my everyday life that I may have otherwise overlooked. Then, I apply these fresh perspectives to whatever I am writing—whether I'm composing a story, crafting an angle for a press release, creating a caption for a social media post, or writing a research paper for a class.
Here are 4 ways for writers, storytellers, and communicators to find inspiration in everyday life:
1. Change your perspective.
I can remember riding in the shopping cart as a child while my mom hunted for items at the store. My mom and I were experiencing two different worlds: She was there for one reason, to purchase the items on her list. But as a child, I was free to explore and gaze at all the interesting shapes around me. I remember peering over the edge of the cart and seeing faces in objects, exclaiming, "Mom, look! I see a smiley face!" I still remember what the world looked like from that perspective, and to this day, I still look for faces in inanimate objects. Sometimes, I'll stare at the woodwork in my bedroom from different angles and study the patterns in the wood grain. Each time, I'll discover new shapes that I didn't notice before. Sometimes, finding inspiration is as easy as changing your perspective.
2. Take a new path.
You're walking home. You take the same path you take every day. Your feet tred the same concrete sidewalk squares. You pass the same buildings, the same trees, get stuck at the same crosswalk. You're caught up in a routine, swirling from one moment to the next without paying attention to your surroundings. To get out of the blur, try switching up your path. Take the longer route home. Instead of walking to the bathroom on the first floor, walk up to the second. When you change up your path, you'll begin to appreciate your surroundings more and new things will stand out, leading to new thoughts and ideas.
3. Pay attention to people.
I'm not saying you should stare at people, but next time you take a trip to the store, try observing those around you. Each human's life is like a walking story. For example, I was at the checkout counter the other day, and I noticed a few interesting details about the lady in front of me. She had vibrant, neon green hair, and her arms were covered in a sleeve of daffodil tattoos. Daffodils! How unusual. Instantly, I began to wonder why this woman chose to express herself in this way. Why did she decorate herself with daffodils? Did these flowers have a particular meaning to her? So many possible stories unfolded, just from one quick glance at a grocery store.
4. Notice details in nature.
Nature has a way of stoking your thoughts and imagination. This summer, I went for a hike at a popular state park. When I made it to the top of a particularly steep bluff, I noticed a tree that almost every hiker leaned on to catch their breath when finally reaching the top. The tree was completely worn down in that spot from so many people using it to rest. This little detail led me to ponder just how many people had to lean on that tree to make such an impact on the wood...probably millions of people over hundreds of years! And then I started to think about who those people were. They all made the same climb, but they all came from different places, with different experiences. If that leaning tree could talk, I bet it would have amazing stories to tell.
As you can see, inspiration can easily be drawn from little details in life. All you have to do is be curious, observe the obscure, take in your experiences, and try to see things in a new way. Once you are inspired, the fresh ideas will flow through whatever you are writing.
