Activity

Today’s topic is about Gathering Inspiration from Others and was written by Maddie.

At different points in our writing journey, we find ourselves more or less empty of ideas. This can happen in between projects, or in the middle of a project. I’m not talking about writer’s block, though that is related; I’m talking more specifically about simply not having ideas for our stories in general. Nothing original. Nothing that our mind latches onto and can’t help but want to write.

Whether we’re working on just one project or have multiple things in various stages of development, it’s generally a good sign if we have multiple ideas springing up randomly as a normal part of our life as artists. After all, creativity thrives in an environment that is rich with ideas – and they don’t all have to be related. So, when this isn’t the case, and we find ourselves dead in the water, fresh out of originality, what can we do to combat this?

While it is excellent to pull ideas from books (of all kinds), it is also important to turn to the artists around us for renewed sources of inspiration. The following tips should help you with this:

1. Form friendships with other writers in which you talk about stories and writing. This should be a normal (and even integral) part of such friendships, and can be cultivated by exchanging interesting articles, talking about one’s WIPs, and more. Forums are a pretty good place for this. 😛 These friendships will help your daily mental life remain enriching and less likely to fall into a drought of ideas.

My other points flow out of this first one.

2. If you are visually oriented, exchange prompt-worthy pictures and build Pinterest boards with writing friends. These can help you in the moment, and you can use them as reference for the future as well.

3. Many people find music very inspiring. Ask your friends what songs (whether just instrumental or lyrical) they gain ideas and inspiration from. Try to dig into why these songs inspire them, and search for similar songs like it that may do the same for you.

4. Ask your friends about their favorite stories. While these stories may be similar to your favorite stories, go a little further and ask them what parts of those stories are their favorite, in particular, and why. As with most healthy relationships, there should be a give and take here… share your own favorite stories, and take the time to examine further for yourself. You might just come across the themes and story elements that get your own creative juices flowing again.

5. Expand your artistic social horizons. Social media is an excellent platform for bringing many like-minded people together, and in the multitude of counselors, there is wisdom. Solid, Christian writers groups on Facebook and the like can be helpful minefields for both resources and ideas if you find yourself running dry. Communities like this exist for the purpose of helping and encouraging writers in every stage of their writing journey, so they are in a sense tailor-made for situations exactly like this.

There is so much more than can be said about finding inspiration in general. But this little discussion is meant to get you focused in on one particular aspect of that: finding inspiration in/from the artists around you.

Has your idea-well ever dried up? What tactics have you used to combat this? Let’s talk!

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