It can be absolutely exhilarating to be passionate about something. Whether it’s art, fashion, tech, or music, there’s usually something to get excited about. Sometimes, though, that passion just isn’t there. You may have had a moment of creative inspiration and decided to pursue it, but after working hard at crafting your skills and gaining some recognition, the enthusiasm quickly wears off. When you’re excited about something, nothing can bring you down, but once the initial rush of creative productivity wears off, it can be hard to get back into the swing of things. This is a real shame, because there’s a massive world of creative inspiration out there, and you’re limiting yourself by not sharing your gift with the world.
Take A Hiatus
If you’ve been passionately pursuing your creative streak and decide that you want to take a break, don’t feel bad. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with stepping away for a little while and regrouping. In fact, the best thing you can do for your creative side is to take a break and then come back a changed person. During the time off, you’ll gain new perspectives on things and be able to bring a fresh set of eyes to the tasks at hand. You don’t necessarily have to take a long break to get back into creative writing mode, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Get Inspired
As much as we all love a good cry, sometimes it’s also necessary to get a little misty in order to get back into creative writing mode. For whatever reason, a good cry usually helps me reset and get back on track, so I make sure to indulge myself every so often. One of the best ways to get inspired for creative writing is to look for things that make you cry, Whether it’s a sad movie, a song, or a short story. When you find that that particular trigger makes you cry, you know that you’re in good creative writing territory. The more you can find that makes you cry, the more your productivity will shoot up. It’s all about having a balance, you know?
Prioritise The Immediate Tasks
In the same way that you would organize your day-to-day tasks in a to-do list, making one for your creative writing tasks will help you stay focused on what needs to be done. This is especially important if you’re working on a longer story or novel. Sometimes it can be tricky to know how far you’ve progressed until you’ve finished writing everything, and then it’s sometimes hard to see what needs to be done next. If you’ve got a clear end point in sight – such as an upcoming publication date – it can be easy to work backwards and plan out what needs to be done next. The advantage of having a to-do list is that you can cross off each task as you go along, knowing that there’s always more work to do.
Take Shorter Breaks
Taking shorter breaks instead of long ones can also help you get back into the mood for creative writing. Instead of taking a week off, take half a day. Instead of taking half of a day, take a quarter of an hour. It’s all about finding what works best for you and your creative side.
Reward Your Achievements
Sometimes it’s necessary to treat ourselves after achieving a goal or milestone. Whether it’s getting some new equipment to create with or hitting a certain word count, it’s important to acknowledge our efforts and allow ourselves to have some fun. Achieving a goal or milestone can help us feel appreciative of our efforts and encourage us to continue working hard. In the same way that you might give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done, acknowledging your achievements can help you find that extra bit of motivation to push on. If you’ve been putting in the hard work and have managed to keep your enthusiasm for writing alive, acknowledging your efforts is a great way to celebrate.
Get A Colleague
If you’re looking for inspiration, never be afraid to ask a fellow writer or artist for assistance. There’s always something new that someone else has seen that you haven’t, and it’s important that we share our knowledge and support each other as much as possible. Even if they can only give you a hand with the odd task or project, having someone to bounce ideas off is invaluable. Sometimes it can be difficult to find the right words or the right images when all you want to do is keep writing and don’t want to interfere with your work. Having a partner – either personally or virtually – can help give you the boost of morale you need to keep going.
Put Yourself In A Writing Frame Of Mind
If you’re looking for inspiration, take some time out of your day and put yourself in a frame of mind that’s conducive to creative writing. Instead of checking your emails or social media, take a walk, go for a run, or do some gardening. The key is to get yourself away from the hustle and bustle of daily life as much as possible and back into the mindset of a relaxed, creative individual.
Sometimes it’s necessary to take a step back in order to take a step forward. If you’re feeling blocked or frustrated with your creative writing, step back for a moment and take in what’s going on. The more you can do to create the perfect conditions for yourself, the more you’ll be able to get back on track. Sometimes it can be hard to put into practice all the advice you read about creative writing, but as long as you keep trying new things, you’ll eventually find what works best for you and keep the inspiration alive.