Now What?

Or, Where Did the Motivation Go?

Sometimes, inspiration can be elusive. Very elusive. We've all encountered a writer's block. Or perhaps an artist's or crafter's block, whatever we express our creativity through. Inspiration comes in unexpected spurts, but during dry spells, there is nothing to work with or even with which to start building upon. Where should we start? Here's my take:

Before You Start
Especially in the beginning, it is often unwise to grasp at things that don't exist. Pursuing yet-nonexistent ideas doesn't bring them into the light. Wait for ideas to occur in their own time; inspiration comes mostly when it is not being sought.

No Luck?
If you're still searching, start looking at the work of others.... but be very careful not to copy. Most of the time, what you see has been done by people who know what they're doing. The internet is a good resource here. Articles, image galleries, and anything else that sparks interest might help. Don't make any attempts to extract concepts and ideas. Just take it all in.

Brainstorming- or Not
If you're like me, the very word brainstorming causes an automatic brain shutdown. So instead of brainstorming, think of the process as spewing out whatever comes to mind. Think impulsive and instinctive. Lay it down on something tangible if it helps. Freewriting is a good way to get ideas going, whether you are trying to write or not.

Get it Organized
Once you have something, however little, to work with, it's all good. I think we all know where to take it from here.

Was this any help at all? Let me know! I run out of ideas fairly often (usually in the form of papers typed in the last wee hours of the morning)- is it just me or does this seem to happen all the time? It may come as no surprise, then, that I ended up writing a paper about searching fruitlessly for inspiration...