Most people think of Makers as being constantly inspired, but what happens when you can't find your creative inspiration anymore?
From the outside, it makes sense. Makers seem to find even mundane things interesting and are able to make them jog a thought that can lead to an amazing project. The reality can be quite different for the Maker when the inspiration spirits seem to have abandoned you.
So, how do you re-find inspiration? It's not by looking for it.
What Happens When You Look For Inspiration
Intuitively, looking for something you've lost makes sense.
Unfortunately, when you go looking for inspiration, it hides and can almost never be found. Your favorite movies will feel more stale and you wonder how you ever thought you could be creative in the first place. Worse, the corrosive thoughts of quitting Making things all together creeps deeper and deeper.
Looking for inspiration just leads to more frustration, making you more desperate to find it.
What Happens When You Stop Looking & Start Doing Instead
Inspiration is found in the doing, not in the looking.
Instead of searching, go into your workshop and just start making something, anything. You might not want to be there, but set a timer or find a small problem to solve and force yourself to do it. What you'll find is that, after you've been Making for a little bit, you'll start to feel a little inspiration coming back as you work.
The more you continue to Make, the more the inspiration will come back to you without you having to look for it.
