How to Get Inspired




We all know what it feels like to be inspired.

 You get a great idea and suddenly your heart feels lighter.

 Your body feels more energized.

 It seems like nothing is impossible.

 Your new project suddenly seems urgent.

 You want to get it done before anyone else has this marvelous insight.

 It’s the brain’s equivalent of the “runner’s high” - where serotonin and endorphins rush through the body and make you feel invincible.

 The great thing about feeling inspired is that it can make you work hard.

 But generally only for a while.

 That’s the problem.

 Just like that runner’s high, the feeling of inspiration doesn’t last.

 I once got that runner’s high and it lasted all day. 

 Completely out of character for me, I went for a jog along Henley Beach in South Australia one morning, pushed through some resistance and then suddenly felt utterly fantastic, optimistic, full of life - a sensation that lasted for hours!

 Of course I tried the same trick the following day but it didn’t work.

 Gosh darn it!

 But I’ve also felt inspired when writing or when I’ve had a great idea for a story, a screenplay or a book.

 It’s a similar feeling but usually not as long lasting as the runner’s high.

 Shame - because if you could sell the feeling of being inspired, you’d become a billionaire overnight I’m sure. 

 So, one of the things we have to accept about inspiration is that it’s fleeting.

 And though it’s wonderful and motivating for a while, ultimately you can’t rely on it.

 Indeed, if you want to be a prolific writer, it’s best not to even think about it as a source of ideas.

 Fact is, writing provides you with all the inspiration you need.

 It works that way round.

 Write first - keep writing for long enough and you’ll think of a great idea WHILE you’re writing.

 Don’t wait for inspiration before you start.

 That’s a waste of time.

 Don’t get me wrong, waiting for inspiration CAN work, but you’ll have a VERY LONG WAIT between writing sessions if you rely on inspiration alone!

 Lots of writers I’ve spoken to do wait for inspiration - and they can go YEARS between writing sessions!

 If you want to be productive, then simply to get on with the task and get it done, EVEN IF inspiration never comes during your writing session.

 It’s actually fairly common for professional writers like Stephen King, James Cameron and JK Rowling NOT to get inspired while they’re actually writing at their desks.

 So don’t feel you’re not being a proper writer just because you’re not inspired.

 Indeed, relative to writing time, REAL writers are probably LESS inspired than the rest of us.

 The trick they have over us is simply that they’re writing MORE OF THE TIME!

 Honestly, try it.

 Even if you don’t feel like writing one day, do it anyway - and I guarantee that within minutes you WILL feel inspired. 

 Keep writing!

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