10 Simple Ways to Find Inspiration in Everyday Life: Unlock Creativity with Daily Habits

It’s easy to get into a routine where inspiration does not feel like it’s a part of your daily mix. I am certainly guilty of getting caught in the hamster wheel. It wasn’t until my summer solo retreat in Idaho, where I didn’t have access to my cell, TV, or the internet, that I started to think deeply about it. An unplugged retreat is something I highly recommend, but you don’t have to go to that extreme to find new connections. But you can find inspiration all damn day.

I respectfully challenge you to slow down and start to notice that inspiration surrounds you all the damn time! Your eyes just have to be open to it.

Here are 10 ways to find inspiration all damn day:

1. Get to know someone better. Every Friday, I set up a meeting with someone I admire to just get to know them better. No pitching, no prospecting, just connecting. I ask them to tell me their story and soak it all in. You’ll be amazed by what people will share and the life lessons you can grow from.
2. Listen to the lyrics of a song. Choose a song that brings you joy that you don’t already know the lyrics to. My husband and I have a running joke that I only love songs where the lyrics speak to me and he only listens to the beat. In this moment I’m listening to “Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Knicks. Having a hard time listening to the lyrics live? Look them up on lyrics.com. Bet you heard something new!
3. Do something out of your comfort zone. When you push yourself to do something new, it’s invigorating. It could be as basic as saying hello to someone you typically pass in silence or as big as enrolling in a class that’s on your bucket list. I recently started taking woodworking classes after a deep desire to build. It was the best commitment I’ve made in years and I grow every class.
4. Watch the sunset. I’m writing this post from my mom’s ranch in Idaho. Watching the sunset is part of mandatory daily agenda here. It’s like watching our favorite show to see what colors and patterns will be released into the sky. We call this place “El Cielo” meaning “the sky” in Spanish because of the gift it gives us every day in beauty.
5. Talk to your grandparents. Ask them what the most impactful experiences in their life. Then just listen. My grandfather has been talking to me all about beekeeping recently. I didn’t even know he was a beekeeper as a child. It’s amazing what you can learn when you ask a question that is slightly more profound than the usual, “How’s it going?” If you don’t have the ability to speak to your grandparents, then find someone who has a few decades on you to glean their wisdom.
6. Spend time in nature. I live in the city so that can be a challenge but it’s needed even more when you don’t smell fresh air on the regular. My favorite spot in Baltimore is Fort McHenry. When the weather is nice I take a folding chair and my work under my favorite tree. I just soak in the sounds and smell of nature. It’s an instance release.
7. Experience life through a child’s eyes. We often forget how magical life is because we’re just so used to it. For a child – it’s all new and exciting! Just spend a couple of hours with a young person and observe what they see and their reaction to it. It’s such a beautiful reminder.
8. Stargaze. I particularly love a watching the phases of the moon. If you want to learn more about it check out this moon tracker.
9. Read.  This is not meant to literally read about inspiration (you certainly could though). Read about something you’re interested in or something that takes you to another world. Recently I’ve really gotten into books that involve magic – Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern brought me loads of inspiration.
10. Watch a TedTalk. If all else fails, go to the place that is pumped with inspiration in every possible topic you could imagine. Need a kickstart? Here’s a list of the 20 most watched Talks of all time.

Now after you do one or all of these, think about how it resonated with you.

Does it relate to anything else you have going on? Can you find a connection on how it can further that concept for you? Inspiration is the gift that gives our minds space to let in bigger ideas. Go make some space to let it in all damn day!