“Waiting for inspiration is like standing at an airport waiting for a train” – Leigh Michaels

You finally have the time and space to create, but when the time arises creative inspiration vanishes. Has this ever happened to you before? For me it often comes after the waves of burnout finally settle and I feel depleted.

This can happen for other reasons too however. Feeling overwhelmed, stressed, battling depression, or exhaustion. Just coming through a 2 year pandemic definitely took a toll on many people not just creatives.

I work in the medical field and felt the impact of being on the front lines working long hours having to work outside in all weather conditions because in the early stages we didn’t allow anyone with covid symptoms inside the clinic.

You don’t have to work in the medical field to feel the affects of burnout though or lack of motivation or creative blocks. Sometimes they just happen for no reason whatsoever and it’s hard in those moments to try and force creativity or inspiration. So what do you do?

I have found in those moments instead of forcing myself into creative mode when feeling so uninspired, I instead turn inward and listen to my body. Sometimes in those moments what we need the most is to not try and force anything, but just to let it flow naturally. There are a few key things that can help speed this process up better and help you on your way to being fully inspired and creative again.

1) Have Compassion for Yourself

First please remember to have compassion for yourself and know it’s ok to not always feel fully inspired and motived every time you have a perfect opportunity to create.

Beating yourself up will cause a negative spiral and only make you feel ashamed and guilty. Instead give yourself the space and understanding that there is a season for everything and some seasons require more rest and rejuvenation than a thousand miles an hour of productivity.

2) Listen to the Silence

In times of of overwhelm especially I find there is such tranquility in finding time for silence. In this fast paced society with everything available in instant gratification and we almost fear silence. To avoid it’s discomfort we fill every silent void with anything and everything.

There is beauty in silence though and is especially beneficial for creatives. When we are constantly filling each empty space with stimulation we fail to appreciate what those moments of silence can truly offer our creative spirit.

Instead of scrolling social media every moment you can, filling your mind with overstimulation and clutter, use those free moments and learn to be an observer of life.

The silence is a gift that gives your beautiful mind the peace to let ideas flow in. It is rarely the other way around that we find creative inspiration.

3) Nature is Healing

Have you ever stepped in nature and felt an instant wave of calm wash over you? The moment you inhale that fresh breeze running through the trees, or lifting from the ocean.

Nature reminds us to breathe, it calms our cluttered minds and empties any overstimulation. It becomes even more healing when you can feel rays of the sunshine on your skin and the ground underneath your bare feet.

Those are moments that instantly ground us and make us feel connected to something larger in life than our own little worlds we get so wrapped up in. Nature reminds us to be still and to be fully present. Both are key to finding true fulfillment from within and listen to what your body needs for true replenishment.

4) Nurture Yourself

Sometimes your lack of creativity or passion comes from burning yourself out and not taking enough time to nurture yourself. Passion and creativity is not something you can force, so when you feel resistance don’t resist it, listen to it.

The resistance is often reeling you in to slow down, to take time to nurture yourself and take care of yourself. If you need more rest, rest. If you need better nutrition, nourish yourself. If you need to just sit and be, enjoy that moment. Just enjoy yourself without any guilt of feeling like you always have to be productive to enjoy a moment.

If you take the time to really listen to what your body is telling you you will find the answers are always inside. Whatever it is that you need to feel replenished again, your body will tell you.

5) Create Just for Yourself

Have you ever just created something for no one else other than for your own enjoyment? When you put pressure on yourself to perform and create for others, when your drive comes from external validation, you fail to find true fulfillment from within.

Do something, anything creative that is just for your own enjoyment and pleasure. Create just to create and nothing else. To find your flow state, the state where creativity flows through you effortlessly and you feel the most alive, you have to eliminate any resistance. Often times the biggest form of resistance comes from the pressure you put on yourself.

The pressure to be perfect. The pressure to be recognized and feel externally validated. The pressure to fit a certain mold when that is the opposite of why you should create in the first place.

Creativity should come from within. To tell a story. To express and process emotions. To add color and beauty in this world. To make you happy. The beautiful thing about creating for yourself, is you naturally inspire others with your work because people always connect with things that come from within.