Have you ever felt like you were on a roll with your side hustle, online business, or blog, only to have it come to a screeching halt? One minute, you’re totally rocking task after task and feeling like you’re on top of the world. The next thing you know, you’re hit with a creative block and no matter what you do, you feel stuck and unsure of how to overcome it.
When you stop feeling inspired, you may find yourself in a creative funk that can be hard to shake off. While it feels awful, the truth is everyone loses their inspiration at some point. The good news? Getting caught in a creative rut is only temporary. Here are ten ways to find inspiration when you’re feeling stuck.
Power Through It
There will be times when the fear of starting a new project can hold you back from starting at all. When that happens, it’s easy to confuse a lack of inspiration with procrastination. In order to truly identify whether the culprit is procrastination or a lack of inspiration, you need to make an attempt to work through it.
This is where the
Pomodoro Technique comes in handy. Set a timer for 25 minutes and focus on solely on the project you’ve been putting off until the 25 minutes is up. If the time seems to fly by, you probably just needed to make yourself sit down and really focus. On the other hand, if the time seemed to drag on without accomplishing anything, there’s a good chance you’re in a creative rut and need to explore other options for finding inspiration.
Listen to a Podcast
Podcasts have grown in popularity and for good reason. They’re easy to listen to while multitasking and they can be a source of inspiration when you’re feeling stuck. These days, there’s no shortage of podcasts for creative entrepreneurs, so finding one that resonates with you should be easy enough. Try looking for a podcast that features interviews with other creative entrepreneurs like Jenna Kutcher’s
The Goal Digger Podcast or Rachel Hollis’,
RISE podcast. Hearing inspirational stories from those who have grown a successful business can help to get your creative juices flowing again.
Chat with Someone
If you’re having more conversations with your cat than with real people, it might be time to take a break and interact with the outside world. Meet up with a friend for coffee, join a mastermind group, or connect with a coach or mentor. Regardless of who you chat with, taking the time to foster personal connections can do wonders with shaking off the loneliness that can accompany hustling 24/7. Talking with someone, especially someone outside of your business, can give you a brand-new perspective and inspire a project or idea you may not have thought of otherwise.
Read
When you find inspiration lacking, reading can give you the motivation you need. Sit down with good, like Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic or use Pinterest to find interesting blog posts to read. Whatever you choose to read, checking out other people’s work can give you the kick in the butt you need and can leave you feeling inspired.
Get a Change of Scenery
Spending most of your time holed up at home working can start to feel monotonous and have a negative impact on your creativity. When that happens, a change of scenery is in order. For some, this may mean taking a walk around the neighborhood and enjoying the fresh air, but others may prefer to pack up their laptop and work out of their favorite coffee shop for the day. Either way, mixing up your daily routine can give you a fresh perspective and help you find inspiration in your new surroundings.
Journal
Try boosting your creativity through journal writing. Carving out five minutes of your day to put pen to paper is a great way to find inspiration when you’re feeling stuck. You don’t need a plan going in, either. Just start writing and see where your thoughts lead you. Taking the time to sit by yourself and write whatever comes to mind can be helpful in identifying the blocks in your inspiration and help you overcome them.
Review Your Goals
Remembering what inspired you in the first place can help you get back on track, so take some time to review your goals. Ask yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing and what you can do to bring yourself closer to accomplishing your goals.
Struggling to remember your why? Don’t let it stress you out. As time goes on and both you and your business grow, your why may shift. Over time, may find yourself out of alignment you’re your original goals, which might be why you feel uninspired. If that happens, revise your goals to reflect the new direction you see yourself and your business heading in.
Collaborate with Someone
Another great way to find inspiration when you’re feeling stuck is to collaborate with a fellow creative entrepreneur on a new project. Why? Creativity is contagious! Spending time brainstorming and bouncing ideas off another person can help bring back the excitement that’s gone missing. Whether working on a small project like starting a Facebook group or launching a Podcast, your creativity is sure to start flowing again.
Change Your Mindset
Your thoughts can either have a positive or negative impact on your life. As Jen Sincero says, “Our thoughts become our words, our words become our beliefs, our beliefs become our actions, our actions become our habits, and our habits become our realities.”
Identify the negative thoughts holding you back and work on shifting your focus. Dig deep and ask yourself why you feel the way you do and turn it around. For example, instead of telling yourself no one cares what you have to say, recognize if what you have to say connects with even one person, your story is worth telling. Changing your mindset can have a profound impact on not only your creativity but on how you live your life.
Rest
As hardworking creatives, we’re prone to burnout. If you’re feeling uninspired, unfocused, or stuck in a rut, you might just need to take a step back and let yourself rest. Take some time for yourself and do something you enjoy. Whether that’s taking a day to recoup by bumming around in your pajamas all day or just catching up on sleep, it’s important to practice self-care. No matter how you choose to unwind, remember to let yourself enjoy it without feeling guilty. Sometimes we just need a little R&R to come back feeling better than before.
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Author Bio
Katie Jenison is a freelance writer and blogger from a small town in North Dakota. She started her
freelance writing business in 2017 after graduating from North Dakota State University with a bachelor’s degree in English Studies and has since quit her job to freelance full-time. In 2018 she launched her blog,
The Quiet Type, where she gives readers tips and advice on freelance writing, blogging, and creative entrepreneurship. Download her workbook, A Freelancer’s Guide to Setting Rates,
here.
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