Stuck for Blog Post Inspiration?

I’m sitting here at my laptop, it’s exactly 10:53 PM, I’m dead tired and my eyes are getting that heavy feeling. Thing is, I’m stuck for inspiration trying to come up with ideas for a blog post.

So, I thought I’d try a little experiment, just to prove to myself that I can get a blog post out in a few minutes.

In fact, this whole idea itself is an inspiration in itself as I’ve just woken my wife with my sudden frantic typing. She’s slammed the door to her bedroom…Oh dear!

So, what does one do when stuck for ideas?

1. Look for websites that interest you

Personally, I start trawling through my favourite blog sites and just see what blog posts pop up that I think are interesting.

Over the years I’ve spent online, I’ve found literally hundreds and hundreds of different websites that I have found useful and interesting, covering all aspects of industries and interests.

I have everything listed in categories, so I can find everything I need quickly and efficiently.

Because the focus of my online business is centred around blogging and the general aspects surrounding it, I tend to spend a lot of time reading articles from some very interesting and talented bloggers.

One of my favourites is the very well known blogger, Yaro Starak, who has spent many years perfecting the art of blogging, and is always churning out excellent blog posts about anything and everything related to blogging. He has also created some excellent training courses, specifically targeting wanna be bloggers, teaching all the ins and outs of creating a successful blog site.

Funnily enough, after moving back from the UK a few months, I realised that the guy only lives a few hundred metres away from me. I’m gathering the courage to contact him and do an interview with him for my blog.

But that’s for another time…anyway, let me get back on track.

The Internet is a vast store of information, and it seems almost ludicrous that anyone can be stuck for inspiration. It doesn’t matter what your interest or your specific niche, a simple google search will bring up literally thousands of websites that will have relevance to whatever you are looking for.

Ok, 11:09 PM, and I’m fading fast, but funnily enough, the last 16 minutes has flown by. And that makes me feel good, because loosing track of time is a classic sign of inspiration. You get so caught up in the moment and with all your focus on transferring all those thoughts and ideas from your brain to the screen, it doesn’t take a lot to become totally immersed in your train of thought.

2. Tap into your own creative mind

Lately I’ve started a habit of carrying a small notebook with me wherever I go. I make a point of writing down any thought or idea I have, no matter how silly or stupid I think it may be. I have been dumbfounded by the amount of stuff I’ve been coming up with. It’s true what they say – if you don’t write it down, you’ll soon forget it. I’ve been reviewing some of the stuff I’ve written even just a few weeks ago, and was astonished to read things that I had totally erased from memory.

Ok, it’s 11:26 PM now, and I’m really getting tired, so I’ll make this quick.

3. Get some rest…NOT!

I was going to say that rest is an important way to clear the head and in doing so, allow your mind to wander and conjure up some inspiration.

But since I was a young boy, I discovered that if I stay up really late, my brain seems to synchronise itself into a calm, clear state, so that when I eventually go to bed, I can almost visualise and hear elaborate symphonies and complex ideas. Of course, I have no way of even getting a fraction of those musical scores or ideas onto paper or some other media, but it sort of reassures me that I at least have some latent  capacity to create some amazing ideas.

I have never really researched why this happens, but I think it’s something to do with Alpha waves, or Beta waves, or something…anyway, it’s just a suggestion. Stay up late and see what you come up with.

So what has this short little experiment proved?

Well, I guess I’ve shown that with just a small amount of effort, it is possible to rise above the barriers and obstacles to your creativity. It’s always hard to take that first step, but rest assured once you start going, there is no stopping the rush of thought and ideas from spilling out. It really is a wonderful experience to push past that barrier and feel yourself get swept up in the moment of inspiration. Capture that feeling; treasure it and whenever you can, encourage it.

OK, it’s 11:35 PM and while I’m pretty impressed with my efforts, I’ve now hit a brick wall. I have no idea how this will look in the morning, but I guess that was the whole point of the exercise.

So, I’m done. Just got to find a suitable photo to attach to this post, do a quick spell check and publish the damn thing.

Goodnight guys…

Photo by Stephen Poff