Inspiration is everywhere
Giving up because you don't know what to write about? Stop that right now/
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE # 333
Stuck for something to write about?
Same here. Often.
But then about two years ago, something dawned on me.
I was getting stuck about what to write about because I thinking too big. Too broad.
And that bigness? It was getting in the way.
I thought I had to write about big ideas, sweeping vistas, and huge, top-level topics. That, to me, was what standing out and building an audience was all about.
There was just one problem with this sort of thinking. It was quite wrong.
And because it was wrong, it was getting in the way.
It was slowing me down. It was holding me back and clouding my judgement.
So I started looking for inspiration in the more ordinary things of everyday life.
Books.
Movies.
Television shows.
Recipes.
Articles I’d read.
Conversations I’d had.
Music I’d listened to.
Videos I’d watched.
People I’d met over the years and the lessons I’ve learned from the mistakes I’ve made.
All the things made me stop and think.
And in all those things, down all those rabbit holes, I found a wealth of content ideas.
Stories from work my and career. Thoughts about dishes I’d made from recipes I’d tried. Experiences on trains, planes, and boats. Places I’ve visited over the years. People I’d talked to, eaten with, and had one too many beers with.
All of those things, the books, the stories, the events, actions, and things i’ve witnessed, participated in, and done, all of it began fueling my writing.
So, that’s why much of my writing seems off the wall. That explains why I include an odd snippet from here and a seemingly unrelated element from there: because for me, it’s all connected, it’s all a stream of consciousness.
Don’t get me wrong. When I sit down to write an article, I still get stuck. It’s just that now, I get stuck a lot less often. Sometimes, the best thing to write about isn’t the huge concept or the massive, it’s not about digging up the brilliant, ground breaking revelation.
It’s about looking at the small stuff. The mundane. The ordinary, everyday stuff.
Because it’s in those points that you’ll find the most meaningful ideas.
As always, thanks for reading.
—Gary
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Next time on Shaking the Tree: Championing other people’s successes
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the U.K., Gary Bloomer is a writer, branding advocate, marketing specialist, and an award-winning graphic designer.
His design work has been included in Creative Review (one of the UK’s largest design magazines). Since 2009, he has answered over 5,000 marketing and business questions in the Know-How Exchange of MarketingProfs.com, placing him among the top 3% of contributors. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.