As we talk to other creatives we sometimes here the phrase “I am waiting for inspiration to Strike”… oh how dangerous this is!

John Updike an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic, said this: “The pleasures of not writing are so great that if you ever start indulging them you will never write again”. I personally believe this applies to any creative.

There are moments when inspiration does strike out of the blue but to be honest these times are few and far between. If we waited for inspiration to strike our business would die.  As creatives we work and work hard. We push through challenges, rack our brains each day till they are about to explode, try new things constantly, face the fear of failure every moment and overcome it. This is what it means to be a professional. Amateurs wait for inspiration.

So how do we over come the temptation to “wait for inspiration”? We developed habits to fine tune our creativity. Here are five things we do amp up our creative juices.

1. We start our day with morning prayer, for we believe and trust that all our creativity is a gift from God.
2. We review our work day before we begin to ensure we are prepared.
3. We eat well to fuel our bodies and workout to keep our minds sharp.
4. We do a nightly 3 mile walk to talk and discuss our future business plans.
5. We stay current on ever changing technology
6. We meet with other creatives to discuss creative endeavors
7. We dream big – and no matter how big we reach for our goals
8. We swallow our pride and face fear even if we know we may fall flat on our face.
9. And most important, we keep our focused on truly investing in others.

So next time you catch yourself waiting for inspiration, pull up you big kid pants and get to work… You got this!!