What to do when inspiration leaves you
So, what do you do when
inspiration leaves you?
When you’re trying to be creative
but have no flow?
When everyone else seems to be powering ahead and you feel so slow?
Where do you turn?
A bit of a lyrical start for you today! But really, what do you do when you’ve just run out of steam, inspiration or creativity? Well, for what it’s worth, I’d say just take a step back and take a breath or two. When you’ve lost your creativity or inspiration, one of the best places to look for it is – Nature. Get back to basics and no, I don’t mean going off on some Bear Grylls’ type expedition, no need to overdo it! No, just go for a wee walk and see what’s around you. There are some fabulous fashion, textile and manufacturing designs which have all been influenced by Nature. And you don’t need to look far! I took the picture above in a local car park which lots of parents use when taking their kids to a Taekwon Do class. The building itself looks rather grotty, in a 1970s way of things and the car park is nothing special. Oh, but when I saw those autumn colours I was pretty blown away, even if I was rushing to get my daughter to her class on time! And have you ever stopped and really looked at one single leaf?
They’re actually quite amazing with their intricate veins and variety of textures and colours. A bit like a business really.
Reach clients, customers and other businesses…
You see, just as plants reach up to the sun with their leaves and their veins, as small businesses, we reach up and out too. (You see where I’m going with this?!) We plant our roots firmly in our field of expertise and then grow upwards and outwards to reach clients, customers and other businesses. We have to display our products and services just as the leaves show off their colours. Those veins, so intricate and delicate are quite like our lines of communication, reaching out to draw in our clients as the leaves draw in the sunshine. By the way, if you’re a botanist, I’m just saying all this in a lyrical fashion, without getting too technical about it all, ok, so please forgive me if I’m not 100% accurate! Anyway, back to reaching out... So there we are, small businesses, roots firmly planted in years of expertise and looking for some custom. We reach out via social media, our websites, word of mouth and so on. Only sometimes, we forget what we’re doing, get lost in seeing what everyone else is achieving (all those hours on social media!) or flounder under a pile of children’s laundry, play dates or Taekwon Do classes! So where better to look for inspiration than those leaves. Of course, if you prefer, you could go a bit further and head for the hills, beach, forest etc. But, if you’re in the city and stuck for time, your local 1970s car park will do just fine!
Show and tell...
Just taking a break from your desk or work space will do you the world of good. Go and clear your head. (Well, just wait a minute ‘til I’ve finished, ok? Don’t go right now, I’m almost done!) Observe Nature. Get things in perspective. Then come back and get those lines of communication flowing again, show your vibrant colours and tell the world that you’re here and you’ve got what they want!! And what better way to do that than with a video where you can show and tell? (Like the way I linked that in?!) Reach out and show what you’ve got to offer and, just as the plants and trees put fresh oxygen into our cities, you can breathe some life back into you and your business!
Whether you want to make your own video or have it produced for you,
Julie Neilson Media can help you to harness the power of video. So, get in touch and visualise YOUR business!
Oh and read that first line at the top of the page again…
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