The ultimate guide to finding inspiration: 35 ideas for sparking creativity

It’s a crisp fall day and leaves are painting the horizon in rich orange, yellow + red hues. Steam rolls off the top of your warm pumpkin spice latte as you watch a light morning mist lift up over the hills. In this quiet moment your mind expands + potential ideas bubble to the surface sparking infinite possibilities.

This. This is inspiration. A muse. Your muse.

This is where art + science + technology comes from. Were innovations to make our world better are formed.

But inspiration is harder to come by than it should be. It’s not something you can just grasp and put in your pocket for later when you have time to record + process how it all fits together.

Inspiration is not something you grasp but something to experience.

Jenn + I put together ideas of things that inspire us in our everyday life + work to spark some ideas for you to try so that you can get inspired to make your art.

Ronii's Inspiration List:

• Stand at the edge of the ocean with my toes dug in the sand - looking out at the vastness expands my mind in ways that make new ideas rush in like the tide.
• Walking around an art museum or gallery - I have a friend that invites me to art walks because I'm her only friend that, "likes art and shit.” I’m going to take that as a compliment.
• Dancing in the kitchen.
• Play with puppies and getting a puppy facial {seriously, need I say more}.
• Looking at cute photos of kittens on Pinterest - even my ‘not cat people’ peeps find this enjoyable.
• Drinking cocktails with a girlfriend at a dive bar where the beer is cold - I don’t know if it’s the drinks or the conversation or the electric energy that gets my creative juices flowing but whatever it is, it works. Fancy bars with Champagne work too. Even better is Champagne in a dive bar ;)
• Go to the movies + get extra butter on my popcorn.
• Get. Organized. This actually should have been in my post for creating space, but it’s here now. I realize this may seem counter-intuitive because systems seem so confining. But actually it’s extremely freeing because thinking about where things go + how to do simple tasks takes up so much time + mental capacity that organizing frees up a shit ton of creative space.
• Buying fresh flowers for my desk.
• Looking at photos from my trips all over the world and reminiscing about all the beautiful memories of places I’m so lucky to have experienced.
• Going shopping in the crafts section - there’s nothing like gluing things together to spark inspiration.
• Read a novel - Rom Com for this girl.
• Binge-watch Sex and the City - I mean the fashion alone is enough inspiration.
• Peruse E-online + cyber stalk Bradley Cooper.
• Snuggle with the cat - this is her only job in life. If there is such thing as reincarnation; I want to come back as a cat.
• Doing work that is mundane and repetitive - Sheldon explained it in The Big Bang Theory’s The Einstein Approximation.
• Color - inside the lines or outside of them, whatever floats your boat.
• Travel - even if this means across town to a park you’ve never been before.
• Go to a farmers market + check out the local artisans.
• People watch - at the beach, the mall, a bakery, a restaurant, by the pool, at the coffee shop, wherever. Humans are interesting + watching them will help you figure out how to help them better with your art.

Jenn's Inspiration List:

• Quotes or sayings that I find meaningful. Sometimes something someone else says just hits you like a ton a bricks + you go 'Oh I get it'.
• Music - no specific type just something to drown out distractive noises so all there is, is you singing to your favorite song at the top of your lungs in your car or around the office.
• My boys in their unique ways + things they say. Seriously there is nothing more inspiring then 2 fun-loving little boys. The shit they come up with and do is astounding.
• Dancing in the kitchen or out with girlfriends.
• Perusing Pinterest for the next kids project or something for me to crochet.
• Group therapy - sitting around with peers + discussing anything + everything. Doesn't matter what you are talking about - work, life or cats on Pinterest, sometimes nothing clears your mind of the junk to spark something creative.
• Hearing something on the news or radio that sparks an idea or thought.
• Reading something I come across on Twitter late at night or in a magazine or book.
• Glass or 2 {or 3} of wine or Champagne.
• Watching other people + peers. I love to people watch.
• Sitting on the back deck in the sun listening to the sounds of nature. There's nothing more relaxing + it clears your mind to make room for those awesome creative ideas.
• Rockin on the front porch with my coffee in the mornings. Seriously! It doesn't get any more peaceful.
• Crocheting - it helps clear my mind + I am already doing something creative, so it inspires me to do more.
• Girlfriends - never underestimate the power of a group of women when there is laughing + drinking involved.
• Wander aimlessly around Target or Michaels. Something is bound to spark that fire in my brain.

We are ALL in a creative business. Even if you work with Excel spreadsheets, you are in a creative business + you need to feel inspired to create your art.

I’ve built an entire business on finding inspiration for creative thinking + brainstorming. We incorporate lots of these strategies into our work with clients. {Warning: shameless plug} If you’re looking to ignite some spark or inspiration you may want to chat with us about a creative workshop. Super fun + results driven. Check it.

What’s your muse? Doing new things is another one for us so give us some ideas + add to the list.