Writing Inspiration Without Writing?

Looking for inspiration for your writing? Stop looking at writing — or, for that matter, anything written. Put away the maps, the trivia books, the obscure novels you found at garage sales, and whatever you draw inspiration from.

Go somewhere else that’s creative — but where writing isn’t exactly prominent. No libraries, bookstores, movies, or anything else.

Go to a restaurant you never tried before — preferably one that’s either unusual or specializes in authentic ethnic cuisine. Asking questions of the waitstaff, looking up food information online to figure what you just ate, is going to shake up your imagination.

Go to a park — if there are any odd or unusual parks in your area, they can be amazingly inspirational. I’ve seen arboretums, Japanese flower gardens, and more that fired up my imagination.

Go to a craft fair — a personal favorite. You’ll see interesting work, ask questions, and probably spend some cash as well. You’ll also meet fun people and get some insights into creative activities you may not normally do.

Go somewhere inspirational — without a focus on writing. I find it always inspires me.

Why? There are three reasons.

First, being exposed to anything creative will usually fire up your imagination. I find there’s something about being exposed to any creative act or construct that gets me feeling creative as well.

Second, it exposes you to unusual experiences — especially if you go out of your way to go somewhere different and new. That’s a great way to get inspired because you’re not thinking in your usual ruts.

Finally, it’s inspiration that does NOT come from written sources or sources related to writing, which makes you more open to surprise. When you’re not thinking of writing directly, or experiencing it directly, you’re in an open state — and that’s when inspiration can strike!

So get inspired about your writing — by getting the heck away from it.

Share your inspirational places and events below!

Steven Savage, ProGeek

 

 

 

Steven Savage, self-described “professional geek”, is the main blogger of the Fan To Pro blog, writer (Fan To Pro, and Convention Career Connection), runs a newsletter on geeky trends, and is the mind behind the popular Seventh Sanctum site. You can find out more about him at his web site, or contact him at: