“If you want to inspire the world, first inspire yourself.” –Scooter Braun
What inspires you?
Inspiration is the feeling that drives our creativity, opens our minds to new possibilities, and motivates us to take chances. Inspiration is an important part of achieving our dreams because when we feel inspired, we feel motivated.
Inspiration can be randomly evoked, like when you hear music in the distance or catch a glimpse of a sunset, but don’t think you have to sit around and wait for inspiration to find you. Inspiration is everywhere if you know how to look for it! When you feel stuck or unmotivated, try these tips for finding your inspiration.
1. Study the details. Instead of looking atthe big picture, take an image or an object you’re familiar with and focus on its tiny details such as lines, shapes, colors, and textures. You may notice something that you’ve never seen before!
2. Break down a dialogue. If you like to read or watch movies for inspiration, take some dialogue from a favorite movie or favorite book and analyze it, looking for any nuances that you may have overlooked and asking yourself any questions that may arise.
3. Write for 5 minutes. Grab some paper and something to write with and just start writing for 5 minutes without stopping. What you write doesn’t have to make sense. It can be random thoughts, observations, or even just a list of words that pop into your head.
4. Draw for 5 minutes. This is the same basic concept as above, but this time draw, either something that you see or just make it up as you go. You may find yourself creating some interesting visual inspiration!
5. Study something you aren’t familiar with. Pick a subject or a person that you don’t know a lot about and may not be interested in at all. Read a book or an article related to the topic or the person.
6. Find out what inspires others. Talk to other people about the things that inspire them. Ask them to share with you some of the ways they find inspiration in their lives.
7. Take a class. Sign up for a class or a workshop. Immersing yourself in a learning environment can be very inspiring and the interaction with others can lead you other areas of interest you may not have previously considered.
8. Travel to a new or a favorite place. Whether you are traveling to a new country or traveling to your favorite local park, take some time to visit a place you’ve ever been or don’t go to often. Observe your surroundings and how they make you feel.
As you can see, even the simplest actions can provide us with profound inspiration if we allow ourselves to be open to trying new things or looking at familiar things through a different lens. The important thing to remember here is that inspiration is everywhere!