When I joined the Creative Superheroes group on Facebook, I thought that it would be a nice place for ideas and maybe a few tips on blogging. What I didn’t know was that it would be a FUN place to hang out, reading advice, discovering beautiful blogs and interesting people, all with Allison’s quirky and fun way! So I jumped at the opportunity to feature one of the most interesting and inspiring bloggers and her advice for Finding (and keeping) Inspiration!
Please welcome Ariel and read more about her and her blog at the end of the post!!!
A guest post by Ariel from One Little Library
We often hear that inspiration strikes at random. It seems like something out of our control, that we can only hope for when all of the stars align. But it’s just not true.
Finding inspiration isn’t actually hard; creating is the hard part. The word “inspiration” originally came from the Latin word for breath: to breathe, to inhale. Think of inspiration as something you need to regularly take in. And what you take in will help you create.
If what you’re creating is writing and information, then what you need to take in is learning. Here are five things you can do to practice taking in inspiration:
- Get curious
Ask questions. Don’t accept information at face value. Ask Google. Click on that link. Follow rabbit trails to see what’s there. For example, as I was writing the intro to this post, I started to run into a mental block—which is ironic, I know. I decided to look up the etymology of “inspiration,” which is how I found out it comes from the word for breath. That definition “clicked” and helped me say something I wasn’t sure how to say before.
2. Find the gap
In my job as an acquisitions editor, I read proposals all the time. And I’m always surprised by the sheer number of ideas people have—even within a very specific genre or topic. There are infinite ways to spin something: to take a different angle, or to say it in a fresh way. I’ve learned that great writers are able to pinpoint a gap in the existing knowledge base.
3. Read, read, read
To find the gap in the knowledge base, you have to know the knowledge base. You have to know what others are writing about. They’re both your competition and your inspiration. What can you provide that is different/better? Plus, knowing what your readers know allows you to provide them with information that is more relevant and timely.
4. Start a conversation
I often find inspiration when I listen to the questions people are asking. And they are asking! Start a conversation about whatever your topic is, and put yourself out there as an expert—even if you’re not sure you have all of the answers. At the least, what you’ll get is a new idea to research and explore so that next time you might have the answer.
5. Look at titles
Often when I’m trying to figure out what to write, I look at just the title of another blog post or a book that strikes my fancy. If I was the author of that blog post, what would I say? To some, this might sound like stealing. In his book, Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon argued that “stealing” is actually an act of collaboration, building on someone else’s work to remix it and make it your own. More often than not, I start writing and I find that my blog post is very different from the original one.
A Note on Keeping Inspiration
It’s great when we start exploring and find a good idea, but how do you hold onto it? I like to stock up on ideas and revisit my lists whenever I’m looking for something to write about. Here are some of my favorite ways to hold onto inspiration.
Keep a small notebook on you at all times. I use the adorable notebooks from Obvious State. They fit perfectly inside the clutch wallet I use, so no matter where I’m going, I always have something to write on. Don’t forget a pen, too! But if you forget, pens are usually easier to come by than paper.
Use Google docs. Google docs are available anytime and anywhere, from any device. When I have an idea for a blog post, I often open a new Google doc, give it a short tentative title (I’ll revisit the title later when I have time to start writing), and write just a few words to remind me later of where I was going with that idea. In my Google Drive, I have TONS of mostly empty Word docs—all ideas for blog posts that I’m holding onto and can revisit whenever I like. I also have a Google doc list of blog post ideas—basically the digital version of my little notebook.
Don’t wait around for inspiration to strike. Find it, claim it, and take it in. And if you have any additional tips for finding and keeping inspiration, let us know in the comments!

That was very interesting! It almost made Monday blues disappear! Thank you for sharing this and I’ll definitely
I’m so glad you found it interesting Michael! Inspiration is some times hard to find! I hope your Monday gets better and better 🙂
I’m sorry it couldn’t completely eradicate the Monday blues, but I’m so glad it was helpful! Thanks for sharing!
You are welcome! It worked its own little miracle for me. We all need a bit of inspiration every now and then!
Great post! Concerning no. 5, wasn’t it Picasso who once said “Good artists copy; great artists steal” ? (Of course, I don’t know if this has been confirmed!). And also T. S. Eliot, “the immature poet imitates and the mature poet plagiarizes.”
Not that I am in favour of stealing or plagiarizing of any sort, but sometimes you need to get elsewhere to get inspired.
You are so right! G. Seferis has also said something similar, “There is no such thing as parthenogenesis in art” and I couldn’t agree more!
Inspiration is all around and we must grab it 😉
Thanks a lot for your kind words!
[…] Fotieni Moschi, a translator in Greece, and we decided to trade blog posts! Yesterday I wrote about 5 Tips for Finding (and Keeping) Inspiration, and today Foteini shares some insight about the translation […]
Nice! Well done ladies!
Thank you so much, Michael! Have a great spring day!
[…] Little Library, about translation and books? Ariel was featured here as a guest blogger, offering invaluable advice for finding and keeping blogging inspiration? Also, I have met many interesting entrepreneurs and I have found invaluable advice in many of […]
[…] […]
A great post! Inspiration is so elusive!
[…] And if you are at loss for inspiration, check out this post about Where to find Inspiration and how to keep it. […]
[…] Your blog does not have to be immaculate from day one, so don’t stress too much about it but don’t forget to thoroughly proofread your posts, choose nice, clear images (plenty of advice online for which images are best for blogging) and don’t forget to be your fabulous self! Don’t try to copy the exact same look of someone’s blog – they might be cool but they are not you, right?And if you are at loss for inspiration, check out this post about Where to find Inspiration and how to keep it. […]
An answer from an expert! Thanks for coibtnturing.
I have read each one of the Virgin River Series to date, and can’t wait for this one! One thing that drives me crazy about my family is that they all live way too far away from my husband and I, so we really miss them, especially at Christmas.