May 30, 2013

“You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” ― Jack London


I'm about to share one of my deepest, darkest secrets...Ok, not really but it's a trick I use to post my amazing posts. ;)

Every blogger knows that chronic bloggers block is a horrible illness to come down with.  I don't have it often but there are days where it feels like I stare at the blank computer screen for hours with no ideas.  Rather than me sitting there, frustrated, about to give up and waiting for an idea to smack me in the head, I take a look at some writing and blogging prompts sites that I have bookmarked throughout the past few years.  Something usually jumps out at me as an exciting and great blog post and I usually end up writing on that prompt.  Today was one of those days -- sitting here for 10 minutes, I just knew nothing was going to inspire me because I'm exhausted and have horrible allergies.  I clicked on one of my favorite blogging prompts sites and started reading through some prompts.  One struck me as very funny....

How do you develop your writing/blogging ideas?

Why did that strike me as so funny?  Mostly because I was reading this on a blogging prompts site. lol  Was this person hoping for a shameless plug from someone who chose that prompt?  I mean, if you're looking at a blogging prompts website, apparently you don't have any ideas. (Ok well most some of the time.)

But you know what...I'm going to take that prompt and write about it.  Why?  I'm a rebel!  I like to be different...and strange.  It's just who I am.  

*clears throat*

My writing and blogging ideas come from almost everywhere.  I am an artist and artists just see the world differently.  We think of everything in terms of stories, art, beauty and ideas.  We get inspiration from the most random of places, but at least we get inspiration!  I could see a park and an idea (that has nothing to do with a park, mind you.) will come popping into my head.  Why?  Creative thinking? Creative mind?  I'm not actually sure, but I don't mind it.

I also grab inspiration from things I hear from people, situations I get into with my kids, things my kids say, news stories that I hear, blogs that I read, tweets that pop up on my feed -- my inspiration comes from absolutely anywhere.

Sure, sometimes I have no ideas and get ideas from prompts, but I take those prompts and I really run with them.  Sometimes I may end up off topic or sometimes I may start writing and actually get a completely different idea from the prompt, it just depends.

Either way, I love blogging and love meeting new people.  I have made some wonderful friends while blogging and got to know some great bloggers, I wouldn't change that for anything else. :)

Where do YOU get your inspiration from? If you blog about it, link yourself in my comments or you can just leave a general comment about your inspiration.