Where to Find Inspiration?

Inspiration is a fickle thing. Sometimes it is flowing, other times it is hard to find. Many people find only despair when that inspiration is nowhere to be found. It may feel like that they are trapped in this situation forever with no way out. However, that is not always the case. There are always ways to bring inspiration back, even if that means taking a break right now.

Taking a break is the obvious situation, and it doesn’t always work. So when your creative juices need a boost, here are some other places you can look when trying to find that spark that wandered off.

Other People’s Art

There is something special about seeing someone else’s projects. The way they color, the way they capture the figure of whatever it is they’re drawing. Other people’s art is the biggest informant of what we create of them all. If it isn’t for that book you adored or that cartoon you admired as a kid, your art will look unrecognizable today.

So, why not go back to your roots? Scroll through the art side of social media, watch a new show. You will be surprised by what you can find by doing the very thing that made you the artist you are today.

Stories Old and New

Both new releases and ancient oral traditions hold value in what they want to share, spurring many people to repeat those tropes and themes since the dawn of time. Every classic movie of Disney is derivative of an older story, usually a fairy tale, but you can find Shakespeare in The Lion King.

Maybe a story out there is waiting with something meant for you. A message that it wishes to share that it believes you will be able to use. However, if you are busying yourself by worrying about your lack of inspiration, then you won’t find that story. You won’t receive the message it is trying to say. The story won’t find you, you need to go find it.

Plants, Animals, and Weather

The original source of inspiration is nature. The first stories were about a great (or terrible) hunt. Comedy came from boredom and terrors before safety was a guarantee. Romances came from recounts of real life love stories. Horror came from needing to tell children a lesson in a way that is more memorable than just saying it to them.

The way all of this was accomplished was by using nature. Earthquakes are a god tormented by snake venom, thunder is the roar of a demon musician, and someone’s kid startling to stepping on a brittle stick is the funniest joke of the season. Stepping outside and simply observing nature can be enough to give you a trickle that could turn into a downpour of creativity.

Your Own Life Experiences

Finally, there is the fact that you have lived. Everybody had an embarrassing moment that haunts them, something funny that they still laugh at, a special event that sticks with them. Every life story is unique, including your own. If you look back and dig deep enough, you might find something worth sharing with the world.

What you went through and what you have learned are more valuable and interesting than you believe. There is a story deep in the trenches of your mind that only needs to be dug out. The digging can’t be done by anyone else, only by yourself. So inspiration might rely on only one question: are you willing to dig through your past?

Conclusion

Inspiration can be found in many places. Even when it feels absent, it is still there. It’s waiting for you to come and find it. So, do not despair, and instead, look for it. Unless you just need rest, there is a world of inspiration waiting for you to come and explore. Inspiration is not at fault if you don’t take advantage of everything that is arond you.