Capturing Your Creativity
Posted November 1, 2011 in How-To, Inspiration
We freelancers are a creative bunch. If you’re a freelance writer, you need to frequently come up with fresh ideas for copy. If you’re a designer, you must continually come up with fresh design ideas. Even freelancing fields that are supposedly “less” creative require freelancers to come up with new and innovative approaches to solving problems.
Freelancers are constantly on the hunt for new ideas. Is it any wonder that creative folks sometimes complain that they can’t think of any new ideas?
Where, exactly, do ideas come from? In this post, I’ll look at some common sources of creative inspiration that can help you capture your own creativity.
Music
Song titles, and of course all music in general, can be great for inspiration. Even when the song is about something totally different than what you’re trying to create, the mood of the song can still inspire you.
For me, a song will also often trigger a memory or past experience, which in turn leads to something that I can write about.
Some freelancers like to keep music on all of the time while they are working. Although I can certainly understand that, I tend to listen to music between projects and then turn it off to develop my ideas in detail.
Headlines in Newspapers and Magazines
A few years ago, Brian Clark encouraged his readers to write magazine-style headlines for their blog posts. While the exercise was a lot of fun, it was also a great way to get inspired. Magazine and newspaper headlines are specifically designed to grab the reader’s attention and stir their imagination.
Book titles can work for inspiration as well. For example, my unlikely inspiration for this post, Mastering the Art of Client Relations was the movie Julie & Julia, which referenced Julia Child’s great work, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. After watching the movie, I started thinking about how there was an art to client relations just like there is an art to French cooking.
Another way to find inspiration from publications is to personalize the news. Describe how the news makes you feel. If you’re are an artist and you just read a piece about the economy, you can illustrate how the economic news made you feel. If you’re a writer and you just read the same piece, you can write about how the economy is likely to impact you and other writers personally.
Nature
Nature never ceases to amaze me. From grandiose views like mountains, sunsets, oceans, or storms to tiny scenes like the petals of a flower or the wings of a butterfly–there’s something in nature to move everyone.
When I noticed a garden flower growing in an unlikely place (a crack in the pavement), I wrote this post titled, Thrive, Even When Odds Are Against You. I wrote the words, but nature provided the spark of inspiration that I needed to get started.
Artists and designers, in particular, can create patterns inspired by what they see in nature. And of course, the colors found in nature are also inspiring.
Technology
Technology may seem like the polar opposite of nature (and in many ways it is), but technology can be equally inspiring.
Of course, the most obvious way to be inspired by technology is to think about how you, as a freelancer, can make use of it.
However, the patterns, textures and colors found in technology can also be inspiring. The other day I was near a construction site and I noticed how the shadow of the construction equipment against the shiny glass of the building next door was making an unusual, but interesting, pattern. If I were designer I might have tried to replicate that pattern in my designs.
Everyday Occurrences
If something is happening to you, it’s probably happening to someone else as well. That’s why everyday occurrences can be a great source of inspiration.
If you’re having a problem, write about it. Chances are someone else will be able to relate. If you’ve just solved a problem that’s even better. You can share your solution.
A large number of my posts come from my everyday experiences. For example, I wrote this post, The Amazing Power of Personal Encouragement, after receiving some very kind words from a friend.
One word of caution about sharing your everyday occurrences: it’s usually best not to provide specific information such as names. You never know who’s reading and besides, you might feel differently later. It’s usually best not to burn bridges. (That’s one reason why we don’t mention clients by name in our blog posts here on Freelance Folder.)
Blog Posts and Websites
Naturally, blog sites and websites (such as Freelance Folder) can be a great source of information for all creative freelancers. Not only can you learn about new techniques and trends to try for yourself, but you can also join in discussions that are specific to your field.
Blog posts and websites can also be a great source of inspiration, especially for writers. You can elaborate on a topic, refute it, or look it at from a different angle entirely.
Your Turn
How do you capture your creativity? Where do you turn for inspiration?
Share your answers in the comments.
Image by Alyssa L. Miller
Related posts:
- 5 Creativity Killers And How To Get Your Creative Juices Flowing Again
- Creativity Truths Every Freelancer Should Know
- 5 Productivity Tools To Boost Creativity
- Interview With Adelle Charles From Fuel Your Creativity – Design, Blogging And Business
- What’s Your Strength: Creativity or Discipline?
About the author: Laura Spencer is a freelance writer from North Central Texas with over 20 years of professional business writing experience. If you liked this post, then you may also enjoy Laura’s blog about her freelance writing experiences, WritingThoughts. Laura is also on Google+.
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21 Comments
Steve Vitek
November 1st, 2011 at 9:27 amI find that interesting ideas are somehow born in my calcified brain when I exercise in the gym. It could be a new idea for a topic on my blog, or something to do with running my business.
It may have something to do with the fact that physical exertion releases endorphins into the brain. This is particularly true about running since this is believed to be the reason for so called “runner’s high”.
Even in ancient Rome they considered physical activity very important (“mens sana in corpore sano” (there is a sound mind in a healthy body).
Do you want to have a few more brilliant ideas about your freelancing career? Try going to the gym a few times a week.
Mandy Barrington
November 1st, 2011 at 10:50 amI recently found inspiration in a piece of direct mail from a charity I support. I was needing an article topic and looked down to where I had carelessly put my mail, and looked over and saw the sweet faces of little children in need and decided to write about supporting charity during the holiday season.
Maria
November 1st, 2011 at 11:50 amAbsolutely brilliant post guys. Nice information, many thanks to the author. It is incomprehensible to me now, but in general, the usefulness and significance is overwhelming. Thanks again and good luck!
Laura Spencer
November 1st, 2011 at 11:59 amHi Steve–That’s very true. Exercise can be a great time to get new ideas. Personally, I’ve found it doesn’t have to be the gym. Taking a walk works just as well.
Mandy, That’s a perfect example of being inspired by an everyday occurrence. (Just imagine if you had thrown that piece of mail away…)
Maria–I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
Catena Creations
November 1st, 2011 at 1:14 pmI like to do searches on Google images and istockphoto when I need ideas, especially for graphics. I also play with special effects in Photoshop/Illustrator/Fireworks. Then I take a break, get some quiet time, and wait for ideas to come up.
I am currently revising Web site for respiratory therapists. Their current logo is a very basic graphic of lungs and a heart, colored pinkish gray and brown. Let me just state for the record that lungs are NOT very attractive things to work with, no matter what you do with/to them! After a few days of struggling, I hit upon the right combination of colors and effects to update their logo into a high-tech look that reflects the nature of the care they provide.
It seems like when I quit struggling with something, walk away and let it stew that the right anser comes along.
JF Garsula
November 1st, 2011 at 1:15 pmThanks for the post! Its another things to keep in mind whenever creativity burnout happens.
In my case, I have this creativity wall that I created. It is a big board with lots of pictures being placed together. Most of them are places where I want to go, things I want to achieve, funny pictures and more. It sort of makes me happy, inspired and motivated which brings back my creativity. I call that big board a “VISION BOARD”.
Laura Spencer
November 1st, 2011 at 1:24 pmHi Catena Creations! I’m not a graphic artist, but rather a writer. Even I find images can be inspiring, though. The lung website sounds like you turned a very difficult project into something fabulous. :)
JF Garsula–A wall of creativity that you call your vision board–what a cool idea!
Tim Baran
November 1st, 2011 at 10:36 pmVery useful ideas, Laura! I love snapping pics with my mobile device – literally thousands. They can then serve a dual purpose – as inspiration for blog posts and as images to accompany my posts.
Caitlin Kelly
November 2nd, 2011 at 9:15 amNice post!
I’m a writer but am reading more photo and design blogs to feed my brain. I often find being outdoors, away from all written or other data, helps me…I think we forget how much we absorb every day — without making the quiet/alone time to just think and process it. I suspect that’s why, at the gym or in nature, we have the “aha!” moment as we data-mine our own heads…
Podium Park
November 2nd, 2011 at 4:22 pmGreat Information! I have recently started a raw and open daily blog about my woes of losing my high paying job, being on unemployment, losing my home, and a lot of emotions I am going through. I especially like the one on keeping names/personal info out of it…No one knows I have started this, and that allows me to be open and honest. And your right, you never know who might read it down the road. Thanks again for the advise. Have a great day~
Jackeline
December 14th, 2012 at 5:09 amSome companies use brronstiaming sessions. People sit at a round table and throw out ideas while 1 person writes them down. They do not criticize or comment on the ideas during the session, just keep them coming and sort it out later.
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