Inspiration is a strange and wonderful thing. As creatives, we need a constant stream of it to come up with fresh material. Whether it comes easily or not, the work still has to get done. Simply sitting around and waiting for inspiration to strike is not the way to go about it. Random inspiration is amazing, but is much too unreliable if you need it to make a living off of it.

The standard answer from most creative types when asked about inspiration, is to say that it ‘comes from everyday life’. True as that may be, it also sounds kind of vague. So to be more specific, here are 5 things I do, to help everyday life in its efforts to inspire me.

Walking

My number one inspirational tool is going on walks. As simple as it sounds, I highly recommend it. Plug in your iPod, pack a camera, a notebook and put on your most comfortable shoes. Walking gets the blood pumping in a non-strenuous way, just enough to get the body working, including the brain. I often don’t use the camera or stop to write anything down, but I like having the tools just in case. Other than that, I just let the music mix with the ambient sounds of the world and let it all play out around me. Sooner or later, thoughts start flowing together into ideas.

See Other People

I don’t mean romantically. I mean people whose lives are different from yours. If you work in an office all day, and all your friends work in other offices (or even worse: the same as you), your world will slowly shrink down to fit in a cubicle. If you work in a garage all day, and all your friends do too, the problem is the same. One of the things I am most grateful for in life is that I know or have known all sorts of people, from hardcore junkies to posh millionaires. It adds perspective to the world and teaches you about the things we all have in common.

Be a Dabbler

Working in one medium all the time is limiting, in much same way as only hanging out with people like yourself. You risk burning out, getting jaded or both. I’ve found that dabbling in areas where I am not necessarily very good, can be a way to reset my way of thinking. I often return to my main work (photography and writing) with a fresh approach. The overlap between different creative disciplines becomes clearer and something you can tap into later.

Read Fiction

Ever heard this one? “I only read work related books, because I don’t have time for fiction.” Often followed up by a wish for more ‘free time’. Like with everything else taking longer than half an hour, you have to prioritize reading. Textbooks, magazines and e-mails just can’t compete with a good novel. When reading, your imagination is constantly working to fill in the gaps, conjuring up images, sounds and even emotion to go with the words. And it carries you away to a place removed from your daily stress. In other words, you are relaxing and exercising your imagination at the same time.

Scare Yourself

Do one thing which scares you every day. Even if only in some small way. We all have a million little worries and fears, and by confronting just one of those consciously and with effort, you move forward as a person. It can be as trivial as trying a new hairstyle or giving a presentation — whatever makes you a little nervous. Jumping out of airplanes, climbing mountains and white water rafting are all cool, but we can’t all do those things every single day. So think small. I have found that if I push myself to confront one scary thing, I get a rush of energy that drives me to keep going.