5 ways to inspire creativity

I’ve always been a creative person, from the pictures I drew as a kid to the stories and poetry I made up as a teen and now to the stories and blog posts I write on a daily basis. But even being in the creative industry, there are times when it seems impossible to be creative. Thinking up new ideas and fresh takes on the same subject (often the case in publishing) can be hard to do, and sometimes inspiration just doesn’t hit when you need it to.

During those desperate times when it seems that you’ll never have a new or interesting thought again, I’ve found that there are several ways to inspire creativity. Whether you’re by yourself or working with a team, these five things can help you get back into your creative headspace.

7 inspiring women who are ruling the world

Have you ever read Cosmopolitan’s “Get That Life” series? They’ve talked to a bunch of women who have created their own unique paths to success in every profession — from engineers and authors to makeup artists and designers. The stories are so inspiring. I can spend hours reading through the archives and learning about these women, many of whom started out working lame jobs or without an idea for a career path and ended up starting their own business or climbing ladders to the tops of other companies.

Currently inspired by...

If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably noticed that I've started wanted to share inspirational quotes on Mondays. I started this because Mondays are hard, and I thought we could all do with a little extra motivation at the beginning of the week. So in keeping with that mindset, I wanted to share a couple things that are inspiring me lately, starting with this perfect fall look. I'm currently shopping for big cozy sweaters and black pointed toe booties, so you can tell why I'm lusting over this outfit!

Where do you go for inspiration?

Let's talk about being inspired. Where do you find inspiration? What type of inspiration do you look for?

Pinterest is a creative person's best friend and my go-to place for inspiration and ideas. You can find everything you're looking for and anything you didn't know existed — all in one site. I absolutely love all that randomness.

This week I decided to go through and share with you my favorites from December. Of course, I've been looking at style and decorating ideas for the holidays, but I've also found some random gems that I just love (like that lip artwork and the pink hair).

1. Berry lips 2. Mix and match rings 3. Black leather skater skirt 4. Cranberry cocktails 5. Busy bridge 6. Pinup style 7. DIY iPad holder 8. Cute couple 9. Blogging tips 10. Glitter eye makeup 11. Best friend LBDs 12. Holiday nails 13. DIY brush trees 14. The perfect quote 15. Sparklers 16. Marilyn Monroe 17. Simple decorating 18. A twist on the classic loafer 19. Tom Ford's lipsticks 20. Pink hair 21. Festive wrapping 22. Gold lip artwork 23. Smart reminder 24. Holiday wedding 25. Big brothers 26. Simple Christmas tree 27. Black and white beauty

Do you use Pinterest to motivate yourself or influence your style?

Related: I wrote a similar article about the top Pinterest accounts to follow when I was writing for Iowa State's fashion magazine called Trend. Read it here.

Better responses to "How are you?"

How was your weekend? 

Was "so busy" the first response to pop into your head? I found this on the web the other day and was struck by how accurate it is. Far too often, when I ask people this question their answer is something similar — and I'm often guilty of the same thing. 

That dialogue gets repetitive, and it often leads to a string of negativity when talking about endless to-do lists and hectic schedules. Sure, we all have them, but why not be more creative (and positive)? Even the last one is a better way to describe a long, crazy day.

I'm going to try to start answering this question with anything other than the predictable "so busy." It's an easy way to make a conversation longer and more engaging between both people. 

So. How are you? :)

(Image via Jenn Gietzen)

Inspiring quote

Found this the other day and thought it sounded like a great new motto. There are so many people who try to be just like someone else, or do everything they can to change themselves into what they think other people want them to be. 

It's so refreshing to meet someone who is unapologetically herself (or himself). A person who is comfortable showing people their true self is so much more attractive than the person trying to fit into society's mold. 

Let's just be who we really are.

(Image via Pure Daily Style)