Writer’s Block: It’s inevitable for any writer, and, whenever it hits you, you feel that all hope is lost for your writing ideas. To try and avoid writer’s block as much as possible, I compiled a list of places where I find writing inspiration.

The most common place to look for inspiration is just by a change of scenery; if you usually write at your desk, it can become drudging, and, as Ernest Hemingway says, it can be “like drilling rock and then blasting it with charges.” Take a walk, get some fresh air, or explore a new place. Even if you decide to just write in a different room or area, it can be refreshing and may even spark some ideas.

If you really can’t get away from your desk, there are other places to find inspiration. Turn on some music and let it guide your writing. Listen to the lyrics to get some inspiration, or just let the music take you somewhere. Creating different playlists for different moods can also help you get into the mindset of what you want to write about. Some music may be easier for you to write to, and other types of music may generate different ideas.

Another place to look for inspiration (if you really don’t want to leave your desk) is pictures. Many pictures— whether a painting, a photograph, or anything else— have a lot that you could write about. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, right? So you should be able to come up with a story that represents a picture. Bring that picture to life in your writing.

You can also take inspiration from other writers’ stories. Use other poems or prose as a basis of your story. Obviously, don’t copy their work, but it helps to get ideas from other writers. If you want to write a story, pick a poem to base your story off of. If you’re writing a poem, pick a story or book to base it off of; this way, you have an idea, but it’s your own words.

What I always look for is a place that will never stop giving me ideas; you can look to social media for this. New things are always happening on social media, so you can take a line from Twitter, a story from Facebook or a blog, or any other form of social media. Although this may take more creativity to turn it into a story or poem, it’s always bringing up news, opinions, or other ideas that you can use for inspiration.

The arts are also a good place to look for inspiration. Go to a museum, attend a show, watch a dance, or listen to someone sing or play an instrument. Whenever I watch a live performance, I feel more motivated, inspired, and creative. There is so much talent and you can always find a story in the arts. Take something you watched or listened to and turn it into a piece of writing.

There is so much in the world that you can take inspiration from, you just have to get the motivation to go out and explore; do something new, and, most importantly, start writing.