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vidsyn: old norse for broad vision of creative thinking and forward-looking perspective. How will you unlock your creativity today?
Today, I’d like to talk about inspiration and the struggle that so many people have on a daily basis. When it’s easy, it feels like divine intervention. An idea bestowed upon you from the heavens. More often than not, it feels like a barren desert devoid of all hope.
The few times that everything clicks has taught us to “wait for inspiration”. With the amount of information and distractions coming at us these days, the chances of your brain slowing down enough to even notice something or receive that inspiration are slim.
This can lead to frustration and not making progress on the projects you want to express. While I agree that inspiration does hit and should be treated delicately and urgently when it does, we can’t rely on this type of inspiration to get our creative work done.
This is why I have created the following systems in my routine to consistently capture ideas and inspiration throughout the week. You may have a completely different approach, but here is a sample of my own personal playbook.
Monday: Take time to listen to the world. Comedians do this a lot. Instead of mobile ordering your coffee to go, sit, sip and listen next time. What stories is the world telling you? Some incredible inspiration has come in the form of eavesdropping.
Tuesday: On that same note, what’s in the news today? How does it make you feel? How do the people involved feel? By tapping into the endless flow of information in the news and on social media, you can inspire new perspectives to consider in your work.
Wednesday: Listen to a deep cut by an old artist you love. What story is it telling you? What do you reminisce when you hear it? The blank page is the enemy. Referencing can be a great starting place for inspiration.
Thursday: Go inward. How are you feeling right now? Is there a happy or sad memory that’s been surfacing lately? Any challenges this week? I find that sitting deep into an emotion creates a spring of ideas.
Friday: Get outside. You may not want to write a song about a bird but nature has a way of cleaning the slate and opening up your mind. I’ve always found a walking meditation to be the best way to start a dip into nature.
Sync Bonus: One great way to ensure your song is sync friendly is to get inspiration from TV and Film storylines. Pull ideas from your favorite shows and those universal themes will resonate.
By taking time to create a weekly system for inspiration, you can turn the whole concept of inspiration on its head and retrain yourself to find inspiration in any moment. Try to focus on just 15 minutes a day of capturing ideas and next time you go to start creating, you’ll have a plethora of directions to go.