What to Do Instead of Waiting for Inspiration

by Kayla Lords · Published February 6, 2019 · Updated February 5, 2019

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No matter what kind of smutlancer you are, you’re a creative person. We’re making something out of nothing whether that’s a blog post, a product to sell, or a recording. And inspiration is absolutely part of creativity, but you shouldn’t rely on it to build your business, either. Here’s what you can do instead of waiting around for inspiration to strike.

In this episode:

This week’s episode is sponsored by QuickBooks Self Employed.
For this episode I’m talking about the work you choose to do that might not be making any/much money right now. The only person waiting for the work to be done is you — and there is no set deadline.
Inspiration feels amazing when it hits but you can’t count on it.
What you can do when you’re not feeling inspired
- Keep a running list for those times when inspiration arrives and you have no time for it — a list, drafts, notes on your phone, etc.
- Treat it like the work that it is. Do you refuse to go to your job when you’re uninspired? Probably not.
- Make sure it’s not fear standing in your way. “The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt” – Sylvia Plath
- You can have a muse but relying on it isn’t usually a good business strategy.
- Let something else inspire you — challenges, the audience, your numbers.
“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” ~Richard Bach — I think a professional anything qualifies.
Confession — my biggest fear about reaching my BHAG goal is that without the external demands of deadlines and expectations of clients, I might not be able to do the work and fall into this trap myself.