Welcome Wednesday: What inspires your creativity?

[#1]

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

I have been writing these weekly posts since December of 2021, with a couple of exceptions where I have missed a week here or there.  One question I have received many times is: How do you keep coming up with something to post about?

To be honest, some weeks it's much easier than others.  I will get hit by waves of inspiration and I will plan out multiple weeks in advance, other times I'm scrambling last minute to come up with something that I hope with be engaging to others.

My question for you all this week is: What inspires your creativity?

Personally, my experiences in day to day life are what fuels these posts.  I usually start by sharing a personal anecdote that inspired the question of the week, and this week was no different and I sat for quite some time with writer's block unsure what would make a good topic.

So, how about you? What do you create? and what inspires you to do it?

Have a great rest of the week!

[Yulia Lenina _AppFox_]

It's a great question, Jimmy! I'd say "noticing" is great skill which fuels creativity. As you mention, the inspiration comes from our daily life, it's just a matter of noticing. I personally keep notes of everything that sparks my interest - articles, quotes, events, thoughts. Then, when I need to write something, I just go through those notes and choose the one that stands out to me and gives inspiration for actual writing. This way I have lots of ideas on what to write about and several articles in the pipeline.

[Stephen_Lugton]

@Jimmy Seddon there are many things that spark my creativity, it can be:

• a shape caught out of the corner of my eye,
• a food article on a forum, an interesting lego set,
• my girlfriend asking me why I haven't taken the rubbish out,
• being asked a question like this,
• or even just being in the right place at the right time:

---

Of course what happens next goes something like:

• What was I thinking about?
• Why did I come in this room?
• I wonder what I can eat?
• Is it time for a nap?

[Samie Delebo - Your Gal at Gliffy]

Hi Jimmy — it's been a minute! Happy Wednesday. :) 

I think interacting with other creative media is really important. As someone who's directing my creative energy toward writing and cooking, that means primarily reading (memoirs, substack, bon appetit magazines...). Pulling inputs from others expands your palette so that you yourself have more to work with and explore! 

I also love a low stakes experiment. If I'm cooking dinner for myself, maybe I'll swap out an ingredient or two and see how it goes. Set a timer for 3 minutes and write a poem. Just do one small thing to keep the momentum going! 

[Susan Waldrip]

You DO consistently come up with great questions, @Jimmy Seddon ! I often just sit somewhere "quiet" and listen, trying to identify all the sounds I can hear. That seems to quiet my mind enough to let other, often creative, thoughts in. Sometimes I just wake up or feel a change during the day and creativity takes over, and I always try to take advantage of that and jump into something at that moment. Wish I could bring that on at will, it would be great! ☺️

[Teodora V _Fun Inc_]

I never believed in creativity per se, but in the targeted efforts that lead to creation. Of course, I speak from the heart of a person who has some creative gene (I am naturally drawn to painting, writing, cooking, and building things), but I've also failed in so many "creative" jobs that only continuous effort helped me improve. 

Some days I am lucky to "find" a creative spark in everyday conversation or by simply moving on with my day, but most times I focus on the task at hand while walking outside to help my brain figure it out. 
As @Yulia Lenina _AppFox_, I also find paying attention and noticing very important for finding a creative push. 

[shrikant maheshwari]

The one thing which inspires my creativity is interacting with different minds and listening to some amazing videos of day to day life.

[Yulia Lenina _AppFox_]

@Teodora V _Fun Inc_ I am drawn to painting and writing too! At some point of my life I was a full-time artist. Walking outside is a good tactics as well!

[Barbara Szczesniak]

I'm a Technical Writer, which I always say "is not creative writing." Technically (pun intended), it's not, but I do need to come up with examples and situations to illustrate when and how you would do something in the software. Very rarely (it seems), someone will actually write something in the Jira change request or epic. Occasionally, I can talk to an actual user and ask "why/when would you do x?" Most of the time, I look away from the computer and out the window, letting my mind wander.

For more artistic endeavors (for me, writing songs and poems), I find that sitting next to water (creek, lake, ocean) helps me relax and be more creative.

While I was writing this, a calendar reminder popped up that I have the Feel Good Friday post tomorrow, so I'd better get creative soon. 😁

[Shawn Doyle - ReleaseTEAM]

Two things spark my creativity. Laziness and wanting to have a good time.  

Laziness helps me think of easier ways to do things. If something feels like a lot of work, I try to find a shortcut. That’s when creative ideas pop up—like making a boring task quicker or turning it into a game.

Wanting to have fun is the other part. If I’m enjoying what I’m doing, my brain works better. I come up with silly ideas, cool solutions, or just enjoy creating something new.

[Michel Metselaar]

There are quite a few things that spark creativity for me:

• frustration
• constrains
• incomplete lists
• art
• nature
• elegant simplicity
• beauty

And there you have it, another incomplete list :-D

[Shivraj Marathe]

Happy Wednesday @Jimmy Seddon!

What inspires my creativity is often observation, watching how things work (or don’t), noticing patterns, or stumbling across a small detail that sparks a new idea. I find that stepping away from screens and just sitting with a thought, or observing something in the real world, can unlock a surprising amount of creative energy.

I tend to create structured things like plans, systems, frameworks. So my creativity often shows up in making complex things simple and actionable. It’s less about expression and more about clarity.

Thanks for the weekly posts, your consistency is inspiring in itself!

[Andy Gladstone]

I am frequently inspired by nature and/or exercise. I used to always travel with a small notepad and pen so I could capture the moments of inspiration, but with the proliferation of smart phones I have poorly replaced the pen and pad with an app. I do find that I am less likely to commit my thoughts to a Notes app than if I had a pen and paper - I still believe that the medium and practice of physically writing is the greatest way to capture the inspiration.