If you missed the last four posts in this series on blogging better and influencing others, please follow the links below.
Introductory Post – 5 Tips for New Bloggers
Inspiration strikes at the most inconvenient times, and I rarely have paper or a pen nearby.
If your brain is anything like mine, ideas enter and then run away as quickly as possible. So take advantage of them when they come and write them down.
I hate to admit it, but my best ideas come when I am showering and when I lay down to go to sleep at night.
I know that sounds insane, but it is true.
Perhaps shampooing stimulates my brain cells. I’m not sure, but I am sure that inspiration comes when I am relaxed, when my mind isn’t thinking about the thirty items on my to-do list or the email my son’s teacher sent because he forgot to turn in his homework.
There is something about relaxation of the mind and body that encourages creativity.
Some days I write full blog posts in the moments before I fall asleep.
When I am smart, I flip on the light and jot down notes as quickly as possible.
When sleep trumps common sense, I always regret it, because in the morning, I never remember the words my relaxed brain strung together.
Then there are times when creativity sounds like a foreign word and inspiration took a cruise to the Bahamas.
I know how bad that feels.
Every time I write something worth sharing, I feel like it is the last good idea I will ever have.
Don’t get discouraged. These times are fleeting.
Before you know it, you’ll be crafting another masterpiece; however, if you are feeling stuck in a blogging rut, here are a few ideas to help get you inspired.
- Take a long walk.
- Schedule a time in your week to do something you enjoy – nap, read magazines, go visit with friends, etc.
- Read other writer’s/blogger’s works.
- Take a long, hot shower. (so not kidding)
- Try something new – a new food, hobby, sport, etc.
- Ask your blog readers if they have questions for you or topics they would like you to cover. Your readers are one of your greatest resources.
- Keep a notebook and brainstorm.
We need inspiration for our writing, but we also need inspiration for the technical aspects of blogging.
There are design details to figure out, organizational skills to learn, and all sorts of technical ‘behind the scenes’ type work.
Veteran bloggers are models for us.
There are two bloggers that I want to be like when I grow up.
Oh, please don’t misunderstand, I don’t want my blog to be just like their blog, because God made me extremely different from them; however, I do want to imitate their organization, their warmth, and their excellence. I want to learn from them, to allow them to be my silent teachers.
We can take inspiration from other bloggers.
And finally, I want to encourage you pray and ask God to give you inspiration.
This should be the first thing we do and not the final, but you know what they say about saving the best for last.
It’s amazing to me that when I am praying over my blog, God nudges me to write about things that impact my readers.
I may never know the full impact of my words, but it is a blessing when God chooses to use something I have written to help someone else.
Be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and He will inspire you.
Just remember to be ready when inspiration strikes, because often, it doesn’t stick around for long, so write things down.
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