What comes to mind when you think about inspiration? A light bulb moment? An epiphany?
It’s a common practice to look for inspiration in conventional places like nature, art, the wisdom of others, or our own knowledge, but what about when those moments don’t happen?
What if every single day of your life isn’t oozing with creativity? When the spark isn’t happening, entrepreneurs tend to put their content on the backburner as they wait for inspiration to strike. And when there’s pressure to produce engaging content all the time, the stakes can feel overwhelming.
As entrepreneurs, we know consistency in content creation is the key to growing your brand, your authority, and your business.
So, what’s the solution to creating content that feels attainable, so you can finally stop putting it on the back burner?
Read on to find out:
Finding Inspiration in Unexpected Places
Let’s start with special occasions and holidays.
It doesn’t have to be a big holiday for this to apply. Just take a peek at your calendar. What’s happening in your life right now. Is it summer? Winter? National Ice Cream Day?
What notable experience have you had that relates to holidays, special occasions, birthdays, or the season?
Now, think about how you can connect that experience back to your business and how you want to build your authority.
Here’s an example of something we do at the brandiD:
Over the summer months, we have “summer Fridays,” which means we take turns only working Monday through Thursday during summer to encourage a summer full of play, fun, and peace. Many of our team members have families, and because we value connection and family, it is often reflected in our brand culture.
How does this translate to the content we produce? Well I could write an email, blog post, social media caption, or record a podcast episode just about this one topic. Once you start thinking, the ideas start to pour out and BOOM!, you’ve got 4 pieces of content right there!
The “bad day” story
Nothing is more relatable than having a bad day. When you need a story to build a connection with your audience that leads to engagement, authentic stories about your own experiences are the ticket.
Not only are these stories easy to write about, but they feel like a vent session with friends. Whether it’s standstill traffic, a heart-to-heart talk with your teenager, or forgetting your phone at home, a story can blossom. An added benefit of incorporating this kind of content is that it makes you seem more approachable, which encourages your audience to engage and form a connection.
Just be careful not to incorporate too many of these stories into your content or you may seem like a negative Nelly.
The mundane
Even the mundane aspects of life can be transformed into captivating stories. It’s all in the telling. Drawing parallels between life and business allows you to flex your expertise and build your authority, which keeps your content fresh, relevant, and engaging.
Whether it’s comparing an aspect of a popular TV show, song or movie to your brand or how your commute to work reminds you of your audience’s needs, you can diversify and improve your storytelling skills by building on the everyday occurrences in your life.
Consistency boosts creativity
As you implement these new ideas into your content strategy, you’ll start to notice an increase in your creativity. When you learn to turn anything into a content idea, it’s hard to stop noticing the parallels between business and life.
Pro-tip: Keep a notebook or add them to the notes app on your phone, so you don’t lose track as they pop up (and they will pop up).
Consistency is key for anything we want to get better at. Think back to when you first began in your business or started learning a specific skill, you probably didn’t know everything out of the gate. It took time, patience, and consistency to obtain the expertise you have today. The same goes for content creation. Keep at it and your creativity will flourish.
3 bonus tips for fueling your inspiration bucket
1: Silence and solitude
Allow yourself to sit in silence, even if it’s only for a few brief moments. There is so much content to consume and distractions in the outside world, that it can be difficult to hear our own thoughts.
Take a walk in the park, jot a few ideas down when you wake up, or pay closer attention to your surroundings on your way to the office. This is where ideas and perspective come from.
2: Don’t set too many deadlines
Setting too many deadlines for yourself during times when creativity is low can have a negative effect on creativity. Have you ever heard of Parkinson’s Law? It’s the adage that work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion.
Even though deadlines are sometimes unavoidable, the constant reminder of a looming “finish by” date can make it difficult to think freely and experiment with ideas. This in turn can limit creativity.
3: Collaborate with others
You don’t need to carry the whole weight of idea generation on your shoulders. Talking things out and brainstorming with others can really get those creative juices flowing. Whether you’re flying solo or part of a team, fellow entrepreneurs and team members can act as a great sounding board for your ideas.
And don’t underestimate the power of a random chat with a stranger. Sometimes, it’s these unexpected conversations that give us a fresh take on things, firing up our imagination in the process.
Keep in mind that inspiration is like playing a game of hide-and-seek. It could be hiding anywhere, even in the places you’d least expect. So keep those eyes and ears open!
About The Author
Rachel Gogos is a multi-passionate entrepreneur with a strong desire to help people by creating strong personal brands and businesses. She’s personally launched dozens of books, e-products, and services; and hundreds of products and services with her clients. She started her career at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, where she helped create the look and feel for the organization’s first website.
Today, in her current role running brandiD, Rachel channels over 15 years of marketing and communications experience into each and every website for brandiD’s clients.
And check out her book, Build Your Brand: The Distinctive Guide to Soul-Based Marketing. It will help you uncover your personal brand.