10 Sources of Inspiration for Creative Ideas
Real Artists Don’t Starve Assignment
I was given a homework assignment for a mini-course I’m taking with Jeff Goins to go with his new book, Real Artists Don’t Starve. (Don’t worry, at the end of this post I’ll give you the link to get this free mini-course, too.) The assignment was to find 10 sources of inspiration–10 things I can do in the next week to put myself around other creative ideas. The concept is to get ideas from lots of places and then let them meld together to make them your own. What a great assignment! My emphasis this time is going to be to inspire my writing, but it would work great for an artist, musician, entrepreneur, homemaker, photographer, inventor… Here is what I came up with:
My emphasis this time is going to be to inspire my writing, but it would work great for an artist, musician, entrepreneur, homemaker, photographer, inventor… Here is what I came up with:
10 Sources of Inspiration for Creative Ideas
- Take an artsy, creative, inventive friend to coffee–or better yet, visit him/her at home. Hmm, I have a couple people in mind. 🙂 Do you?
- Look at favorite bloggers on Bloglovin’. Read through their sites. Response: Brainstorm article ideas for my own writing (or recipes or gardening or creating).
- Listen to TED Talks. As part of my follow-through on this assignment, today I listened to Ann Lamott’s TED Talk called 12 Truths I Learned from Life and Writing. VERY inspiring.
- Listen to music while you work (or while you don’t work!)–Flip through channels on Pandora and find one that energizes you or inspires you or just feels good. Play this while you work around the house. Get in a creative mood. Listen to jazz or classical music.
- Look up quotes from favorite or famous authors, artists, and world shakers. Ideas for response: Write about some of the quotes that inspire me. Collect favorites on my Favorite Quotes Pinterest board.
- Visit a local museum or visit an online museum.
- Get out in nature. Go for a walk through the woods or a park. Ideas for response: Take time to listen, see, smell. Take pictures. Listen to the plants. Listen to God. Sketch. Write about what you observe and how you feel.
- Spend with children–especially 4 and 5 year olds. This age is so fun because everything is still new to them AND they can communicate. You know, “Why is the sky blue? Why do you have freckles? Why, Why, Why?” They open up my eyes again. Color with them, paint with them, tell stories, play dress up, play anything.
- Read. This is an easy one, sort of. Sometimes it’s hard for me to sit still and read. Read about creative people. Read from favorite others or new others. Reread favorite fiction. Read poetry. Read some popular fiction. Response: write down favorite quotes and write about them.
- Look through magazines. Go to the library or bookstore and look through magazines. Borrow or buy one if it’s filled with inspirational photos and articles. Think about what it is about the reading or writing that is inspiring.
Get Real Artists Don’t Starve free video course
I wanted to share Jeff’s course because it is helping me to get over my fears as a writer, to change my mindset as an entrepreneur and artist, and to see possibilities. If you order Jeff Goins’ book Real Artists Don’t Starve from Amazon here, you then go to his page here so you can get the free video course, too. Be sure to copy your order# from Amazon because you’ll need it to get the free course.
I’d love to hear what some of your sources of inspiration and creativity are!
You might also like my articles:
Blogging Blastoff Course Review
A Comprehensive List of Ways to Overcome Stress that Really Work
