Design your life is a new series focused on small lifestyle changes and habit shifts for a healthier, happier life. In these bite-sized posts, I’ll share everything I’m trying or loving at the moment from organizing and productivity techniques through wellness hacks to sustainable lifestyle tips and positive mindset changes. Short personal stories, musings on intentional living, quick, but concrete takeaways and hopefully a lot of practical value for you.
Inspiration.
That flash of a brilliant idea, the magical high we get from suddenly being in the flow, the stress and emptiness when it abandons and ignores us for too long.
It’s one of those ironic acts of life – we can feel like we’re at the top of creativity in one second and then fall suddenly and cruelly into a dark abyss in the next. When something suddenly clicks and the ideas flow, it seems they are never-ending. When we’re staring at a blank page in front of us, searching desperately for even a tiny morsel of creativity, we fear we never experience it again. Then it comes back suddenly and unexpectedly.
For a long time, I thought that inspiration was something that just happened and the only thing I had to do was be patient and have a pen or my phone nearby to quickly jot down the ideas when they arrive (btw, always, always write down the ideas. You may think you’ll remember them an hour later, but you won’t).
Then I had to realize that this wasn’t my only option. Though once in a blue moon ideas just appear suddenly, more often than not, they can be gently pushed or encouraged to manifest. This is when I started the habit of a monthly inspiration session.
Each month (sometimes twice a month), I schedule my inspiration session. I take this seriously – I put it onto my to-do list (among my MITs, most important tasks to do that day), plan a couple of hours of uninterrupted time, and I actually keep it uninterrupted. This is when I plan my blog post ideas, visuals, some work projects, or creative ways to build my business.
These sessions are not about me sitting patiently in front of the computer waiting for inspiration to suddenly strike. It’s a lot more proactive.
Sometimes I go through my notes and linger on some past ideas. Sometimes I flick through magazines, Pinterest, or photos and let the visuals guide my mind. You’ll be surprised how many ideas can be lit by visual inspiration. Sometimes I go for a walk or a short drive as I know it’s a good way for me to get lost in my thoughts. I often use free association to get outside my usual thinking box. I like listening to my favorite podcasts and let the energy inspire me. Sometimes I read and sometimes I just sit and think. Just sitting and thinking is very undervalued in my opinion – we really don’t do it often enough.
There are a million ways to get inspired if you’re open to it. Your thing might be roaming the streets of your city. Or sitting in a café watching people go about their day. Or listening to music. Getting out into nature.
Or just simply start writing, creating freestyle. As Picasso said: “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”
The key to success with these inspiration sessions is a focus and a dedication to keeping them uninterrupted. They definitely work for me and I bet it would work for a lot of people. Just take the time to try it.
