Sir Isaac Asimov, one of the greatest science fiction authors of all time, felt that the art of creation was rather straightforward. He said, “Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers.” Sounds easy, right?

However, anyone involved in content creation might be fuming a bit after reading this. It’s a nice thought, but it’s useless when you’re faced with a nasty case of writer’s block.

Being able to create compelling and engaging content is critical to the success of your business. But there’s so much content out there. If you don’t come up with something new and exciting every time, you run the risk of people tuning out, or of missing the chance to connect.

If you’re writing a novel, you can get over writer’s block by switching gears. You can go for a walk, work on something else, meet up with friends, etc. But for other content, there are stricter deadlines, and you need to figure out how to get out of the rut so that you can create something people will want to see.

The good news is that you don’t need to look far. There is so much all around you that can serve as inspiration for great content. All you need to do is stop for a moment and pay attention.

Here are some ways you can get inspired by everyday life:

Try some new things

Creative inspiration can be found in the strangest places. JK Rowling was at her best when she went down to her local coffee shop, planting herself there for the day. Music writer, Camila Cabello, found inspiration whenever she put her computer on top of the toilet bowl in her restroom!

So perhaps you are thinking too much into this. What you’re doing might be work, but that doesn’t mean you need to treat it as such. Grab your laptop and go somewhere new. Maybe try working from the library or a cafe, or even from a park bench.

When you get there, take some time to really soak in your surroundings. Listen closely to what’s around you, take in some deep breaths and note any new smells. Consider closing your eyes to heighten your sensitivity.

You’ll likely find this influx of new stimuli will be enough to get the creative juices flowing. Sometimes all we need to do is to hear the chirp of birds or the buzz of a coffee shop—not the beeping of our phones—to break out of our rut and unleash our creativity.

Name That Tune

Listening to music is a great way to spark creativity. It’s very relaxing and getting into a “laid-back” frame of mind is sure to get you to be your creative best. But don’t leave music just for the background. Instead, use it to help you switch up your perspective and ignite your creativity.

Remember that every song is an example of creative expression. The musician is trying to tell you something, but they’ve chosen to do it in a less than explicit way. They are inviting you to help them construct their artistic vision and engaging with the song, in any way you can, will help expand your own creativity.

As you listen to the song, try to put yourself in the artist’s shoes. What are they trying to convey? What emotions are present? What brought them to these sounds and these words? This exercise asks you to think about something very simple in a completely new way. And when you return to your work, you’ll have a fresh perspective on it. You’ll find this makes it far easier to create.

Back to Nature

There are few better sources of inspiration than Mother Nature. She is pure creation, and She’s doing it at every moment of every day. The problem is that we rarely take time to pay attention to the beautiful painting she’s working on at every moment.

To get inspired by everyday life, simply schedule some time into your day to observe nature. Take a drive out to a quiet spot, walk through the woods or simply sit on a bench in a park. No matter whether the rain is driving sideways, or it’s beautifully sunny, Mother Nature always has something to say.

People Watching

Everybody needs a change of scenery every once in a while. You can certainly find creative inspiration from your everyday life, but a great way to expand your vision is to try and imagine someone else’s.

Travel is always a great way to see things in a new light, but you don’t need to cross oceans or continents to be inspired by it. Spend a day working in a town where you never go or go for a walk in a part of your city you don’t often visit. Imagine what these people’s lives might be like, comparing and contrasting them with yours. You’d be surprised at how much inspiration can come from such a tiny shift in perspective.

But you don’t even really need to travel to do this. You can simply get into the habit of fixing your favorite brew, gazing out of the window and watching people. I do this quite often and find it fascinating to focus on one or two individuals, imagining what their life story is.

Who are they? Where have they been? Where are they going? And what’s on their mind right now?

You can create a miniature story around somebody who you may never get to know and may never see again, but something like this can really get the creative juices flowing.

Final thoughts

Drawing inspiration from daily life is really a matter of being aware of where you are. There’s so much going on around us at every moment, but because there’s so much, we tend to put blinders on. To take these off, all you need to do is decide that’s what you want to do. And after they’re gone, you’ll see how there’s a whole world of inspiration waiting for you, right in front of your eyes.

Meet Caroline

Caroline is a writer and contributes to the lifestyle blog at JavaPresse. She creates a wide range of content, so she is constantly needing to come up with something new. She really enjoys the freedom and flexibility this lifestyle provides her and she writes frequently about her experiences so that other writers can learn how to make a living doing something they love.

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