21 Ways to Inspire Creativity When You’re Out of Ideas

Every creative person is subject to the whims of a fickle muse that doesn’t always show up when we need it to. Fortunately, there are ways to make our minds a more hospitable place for ideas. Read on for twenty-one easy tips that will help you make inspiration a more frequent guest.

1 Listen to music.

Multiple studies show that music can increase creativity and focus. Research indicates that listening to classical is only really beneficial if you actually like that style of music, so listen to something you enjoy that isn’t too novel or distracting.

2 Journal every day.

Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way and numerous other books on living a creative life, has long touted the benefits of writing three pages in longhand every morning to keep the creative spark glowing.

3 Join a group of creatives.

Creating can be a lonely activity, so head to Facebook or MeetUp to find groups in your area that gather regularly to share ideas and inspiration. You may even get some helpful feedback.

4 Take a walk.

A Stanford Study showed that the simple act of strolling, even in a familiar or boring setting, can give your creativity a jump-start.

5 Turn off (or cover) your monitor.

Interesting things happen when you can’t edit—you have to move ahead rather than worry about what’s behind you. Sure, you’ll make tons of typos, but you can fix those. Later.

6 Reward yourself for writing with a kitten.

(No, not a real one. That could get expensive, not to mention potentially unhygienic.) For every hundred words you write, Written? Kitten! will reward you with an image of a cuddly kitty. Not a feline fan? You can get puppies or bunnies instead.

7 Mind map.

Don’t know how? Let the inventor of mind mapping show you.

8 Carry an idea notebook.

Inspiration can strike at the most inconvenient times. Carrying a small notebook can help you capture and record ideas that come to you while you’re out and about. You can even draw doodles or save clippings. But do it the old-fashioned way—there are benefits to writing longhand.

9 Freewrite.

Give yourself permission to write whatever comes into your head, set a timer for a short period to encourage you to write fast, and then just let ’er rip. You might be surprised by what surfaces!

10 Join a social writing site.

If your muse gets lonely, online social sites for writers, such as Wattpad or Amazon Kindle’s Write On, may help. (Just be aware that getting noticed and earning feedback on these sites can require a significant time commitment.)

11 Go somewhere busy.

Head to a mall, coffee shop, or event—any place where you can watch people. You might even take notes in the aforementioned idea notebook.

12 Go someplace quiet.

Commune with nature in a serene setting where you can clear your head and make room for creative thoughts to flow in.

13 Do something brave.

Shy? Join an improv group. Clumsy? Take a beginner’s dance class. Do something that pushes your limits and then use your experiences for inspiration.

14 Attend a creative event.

Even small towns have poetry readings, book signings, recitals, and art shows. The world is full of creators doing creative things—go watch them and you may find yourself inspired to join them.

15 Perform a mundane task.

Research shows that performing simple tasks can release creative thoughts. You never know what inspiration will wash over you while you’re folding laundry or sorting the widgets in your widget drawer. And speaking of repetitive things . . .

16 Knit or crochet.

These repetitive motion crafts have benefits similar to meditation and can help you direct your creative energies.

17 Make a list.

If you’re stuck on something, jot down a list of as many ideas as you can think of. (Or try this List of 100 technique.) Focus on quantity over quality—you’ll sort out and refine the good ones later.

18 Have a conversation.

The simple act of chatting with others can get the creative juices flowing. But don’t just make small talk—dig in and really get to know someone. If you’re in need of conversation starters, here’s a little random inspiration.

19 Keep an idea file.

Use an app like Evernote or Dropbox to keep an idea log where you can store everything from notes to articles about topics that interest you.

20 Try a topic generator.

If your blog is languishing for lack of ideas, a topic generator just might help. Here’s one from HubSpot and another fun one from Portent.

21 Light a vanilla cinnamon candle.

Cinnamon and vanilla smells seem to boost creativity. And hey, if nothing else, your writing space will smell amazing.

Linking Verbs

Linking verbs are verbs that serve as a connection between a subject and further information about that subject. They do not show any action; rather, they “link” the subject with the rest of the sentence. The verb to be is the most common linking verb, but there are many others, including all the sense verbs.

A handful—a very frequently used handful—of verbs are always linking verbs:

• all forms of to be (am, is, are, was, were, has been, are being, might be, etc.)
• to become
• to seem

These verbs always link subjects to something that further describes the subject of the sentence.

She is a nurse.

The moon is in outer space.

I have become weary of your methodical approach to waltzing.

The Dalai Lama seems like a nice guy.

These sentences show that a linking verb can connect the subject with a number of sentence elements. Nurse is a noun; in outer space is a prepositional phrase; weary is an adjective; and a nice guy is a phrase that contains both an adjective and a noun. All of them give us more information about what these subjects are, have become, or seem to be.

Some Verbs Can Be Both Action and Linking Verbs

Alas, English has many ambiguities, and some linking verbs can also function as action verbs. These include all the sense verbs, such as look, touch, smell, appear, feel, sound, and taste. There are also some outliers, such as turn, grow, remain, and prove. Used as linking verbs, these verbs can give added information about the sentence’s subject.

The ocean looked peaceful that fine Tuesday.

I felt so excited that day.

That man appears somewhat melancholy.

The soup tastes spicier than usual.

Rachel’s theory about time management remains untested.

All these verbs can do double duty, however, as action verbs.

I felt on the floor for my lost keys.

The man appeared suddenly right in front of me.

Would you taste that soup for me?

Remain here while I go ask Rachel about time management.

Why Text Messaging is Butchering Grammar

Guest post from Emily Green

Well, it took a decade, but it’s finally happened. People text so much that they’ve forgotten how to use proper grammar. What’s worse, it seems like the general population is accommodating them. This needs to stop. Let’s look at why text messaging is butchering grammar and what we can do to stop it.

Typing Shorthand is the Popular Style

You may not know what shorthand is by its name, but you’ve definitely seen it. Have you ever seen someone on Facebook type like their keyboard is missing vowels? That’s shorthand. It’s when people can’t be bothered to talk properly. It’s translated to e-mails, general Internet chat, and, sadly, even schoolwork. All too often, people write “wud” instead of “would,” “lyke” instead of “like,” and so on. This type of typing isn’t even acceptable on phones anymore! Blackberry phones include a spellcheck option, so use it and stop looking like a tool.

Typing shorthand is extremely tempting because it saves a few seconds. Maybe you’re not supposed to have your phone out, or you’re in the car (don’t text and drive), and you need to send just one text. It’s a slippery slope, though. Soon, that texting becomes how we write, especially in younger children. It’s best to avoid shorthand style altogether.

They’re Adding Acronyms to the Dictionary

It’s difficult to describe the thoughts that came to mind when this news was revealed, but the “powers that be” have started to add acronyms to the dictionary. “LOL,” “FYI,” and “OMG” – meaning laughing out loud, for your information, and oh my god, respectively – were added to the Oxford English Dictionary. Really? As if we’re not butchering the language enough, we’re now making it okay to do so? It’s embarrassing that these words were added to the dictionary — they have no place being there. What will people a hundred years from now think of this generation? Is this really the legacy that we want to leave behind — that text messaging made us too lazy to type out full words?

It’s almost scary to think of what the future holds. If they’ll add acronyms, will they add words that are misspelled? When Webster wrote the dictionary, he made a few changes. He dropped the “u” in colour, honour, and other similar words; he substituted an “s” for “c” in a few words; and he made other little changes. Will that be something that happens in the future? Do you really want to live in a world where “alot” is acceptable?

What Does This Mean for the Future?

These changes imply a much darker future for grammar. It seems like fewer people are reading books lately, and even fewer letters are being sent by mail. In fact, texting is eroding literacy in young adults. The next generation of adults will be faced with serious literacy issues, which could lead to even more serious problems. We’re already facing some grammar and literacy barriers between generations.

The next generation is going to be peppered with poor grammar, misplaced homonyms, and more, which may be why editors are in demand. As we’re all so absorbed in our phones, this constant texting could lead to some serious social and communication as well. This is evident with Facebook and Twitter’s popularity. We find ways to say what we want in 140 characters (or less), but we struggle in a face-to-face conversation.

So, what does this mean for the future? It’s difficult to say. Really, it could go either way. The texting generation could prevail, and we could live in a world that’s similar to the film “Idiocracy” — everyone lives a brain-dead life, everything is picture or symbol based, and intelligent adults are few and far between. Or, people could realize how ridiculous they sound and grammar could make a triumphant comeback.

What do you think? Does text messaging butcher the English language? Is grammar dying a slow, painful death? Leave a comment below and weigh in on the situation.

About the Author

Emily Green is a freelance writer with more than six years of experience. When she is not writing she like to go on jogs.

Not-So-Sweet 16: Boss CC Sneak Attack vs. Over-Forwarding

Welcome back to the Not-So-Sweet 16! Today, we have two powerhouse email competitors that vie for the enviable title of “most annoying email habit.” Which do you think is worse, sneaky CCs or mass forwards?

Boss CC Sneak Attack:

Occasionally, there is a reason to CC your manager on an email about a project or issue you’re working on. This is not one of those times. The “sneak attack” occurs when someone adds your boss to a thread in order to intimidate you or encourage a specific outcome. Not cool.

Over-Forwarding:

We all know the panic of opening your email and seeing a message with a subject that reads “Fwd: Fwd: Fwd: Action Items.” Passing the buck, whether in-person or over email, is never fun, and somehow over-forwarding makes an already uncomfortable situation worse.

Possessive Pronouns: Rules and Examples

Possessive pronouns show that something belongs to someone. The possessive pronouns are my, our, your, his, her, its, and their. There’s also an “independent” form of each of these pronouns: mine, ours, yours, his, hers, its, and theirs. Possessive pronouns are never spelled with apostrophes.

Possessive pronouns simplify constructions that show possession of a noun.

Jane takes pride in Jane’s outfits.

It sounds odd to use Jane’s name twice in this sentence. A possessive pronoun solves the problem:

Jane takes pride in her outfits.

Thus, possessive pronouns are quite handy and are used frequently in the English language.

My plane is delayed.

Your dinner is ready.

Could you bring his tea out to him?

Remember not to judge a book by its cover.

I would have knocked on their door, but I heard their baby crying.

Independent Possessive Pronouns

Independent possessive pronouns (also called absolute possessive pronouns) must be used without a noun.

My phone is dead. Pass me yours.

Did you know that Labrador is mine?

The house on the corner is theirs.

As you can see, it is common to see independent possessive pronouns at the ends of clauses or phrases.

A Common Mistake: Its vs. It’s

A very common error is putting an apostrophe in the possessive pronoun its. It is easy to confuse its with the contraction of it is, it’s, which does have an apostrophe. Remember, though, possessive pronouns never use apostrophes.

The boat lost it’s mast in the storm.

The boat lost its mast in the storm.

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.

Don’t judge a book by its cover.

If you think about the rules for possessive pronouns for a split second every time you write its or it’s, you will never make this mistake again.

The Ultimate Desk Accessories to Boost Productivity

Does it matter what’s on your desk? A study published in Psychological Science indicates the answer is yes! The study reported associations with the state of one’s desk and generosity, creativity, and even healthy eating. However, most employees (and their bosses) concern themselves most with productivity.

Which of these eight desk accessories would boost your productivity at work?

Standing Desk It’s no surprise that standing rather than sitting burns more calories, but did you realize that a standing desk can increase your productivity? Take a look at a case study: Researchers provided half of a group of call center employees with standing desks while the other half continued to use standard desks and chairs. After six months, the employees who used stand-capable desks were almost twice as productive as those who performed work duties from a seated position. The study also revealed that the standing desk users became significantly more productive over time, perhaps as their body acclimated to working in a standing position.

Fidget Spinner The fidget spinner is a small device that you can spin with your fingers. Before they hit the market as a toy, therapists used them to help students with ADD or other attention disorders to channel their pent-up energy. How might this gadget affect your productivity? Elaine Taylor-Klaus, the co-founder of a coaching service for the ADHD community, said they address “the need for constant stimulation.” She continues: “What a fidget allows some people . . . to do is to focus their attention on what they want to focus on, because there’s sort of a background motion that’s occupying that need.” Instead of daydreaming or wandering away from your desk, a fidget toy may be just what you need to keep you on task.

Extra Monitor Dual monitors save time. Have you ever composed a report using information from an email? Or compared two digital images in different windows? Or scrolled from right to left on a large spreadsheet? A second monitor would have eliminated the need to switch back and forth between windows or applications. How much would that affect your output? Considerably, according to a New York Times report: “Survey after survey shows that whether you measure your productivity in facts researched, alien spaceships vaporized, or articles written, adding an extra monitor will give your output a considerable boost — 20 percent to 30 percent, according to a survey by Jon Peddie Research.”

Mountie If the budget doesn’t cover a second monitor, a Mountie is the next best option. Instead of a monitor, the second screen is your smartphone! Mounties attach your phone to the frame of your portable computer. Then, you can check emails, receive notifications, and refer to web pages on your phone at eye level. The only downside is that Mountie doesn’t work with desktops yet.

Noise-Canceling Headphones Noise-canceling headphones foster productivity for two reasons. First, they discourage coworkers from interrupting you because you look occupied. Second, they live up to their name! Without the constant chatter, bangs, and clangs of your work environment, your ears are free to listen to whatever music gets you motivated to face your daily challenges.

Nostalgia Items Is there a particular toy or item that brings back good memories from your childhood, university, or college days? In an article for Huffington Post, Erica Heppler, Ph.D., describes nostalgia as “the warm, fuzzy emotion that we feel when we think about fond memories from our past.” Nostalgia reduces stress and uplifts you because it brings the positive feelings of your past into your current mood. Another benefit of nostalgia is its power to strengthen social connections. Your treasured object may engender the same sentiments in your clients and fellow employees. “Hey, we have something in common!” they may exclaim. And voilá, you’ve opened the way for a conversation and built rapport. What a great excuse to buy an Etch-a-Sketch! Photographs of loved ones, pets, or vacations also serve the same function.

Desk Organizer Has it ever taken you more than five minutes to find a lost file or office utensil? If you add all the minutes you lost searching for things on your desk, you might be astounded at the amount of time you wasted. Get a file sorter and a desk tray to organize your work tools. Of course, those items won’t help you if you don’t train yourself to put things back where they belong when you finish using them.

A Potted Plant Plants are beautiful, but that’s not their only nice quality. Evidence from two separate scientific studies supports the connection between desk plants and efficiency. A research study reported in the Journal of Environmental Psychology tested participants’ performance on an assessment of “attention capacity” at three different intervals. The results? “Participants in the plant condition improved their performance from time one to two, whereas this was not the case in the no-plant condition.” A second experiment revealed that plants seemed to “provide a restorative potential.” Plants also clean the air of pollutants.

If you want to be more productive, take a good look at your desk. With a few accessories, you can maximize how much you get done in a workday. Naturally, you’ll need to give attention to your habits too. Work Simply: Embracing the Power of Your Personal Productivity Style by Carson Tate will get you started.

The Internet Can Cultivate Writing. Good Writing.

Image from LoadingArtist.com

Almost anyone who cares about language and knows about or uses the Internet has been guilty at one time or another of demonizing the world wide web for its effects on the English language. “The Internet makes it easy for people, including professional writers, to publish writing publicly without editing.” “The Internet encourages casual writing and doesn’t reinforce proper writing skills.” “Students would write better if they weren’t on Facebook all the time.” It’s easy to blame the Internet and say that if it didn’t exist, written English would be on solid ground.

Let’s be realistic, though. We love the Internet. Very few people would like to go back to a time without email, instant messaging, video conferencing, or lolcats. Oh, lolcats! The world wide web is here, and it’s here to stay. Rather than focus on the supposed degradation of English, we should work on using the Internet to make writing better.

It’s important to note that many of the writing errors we see aren’t necessarily because of the Internet. People probably aren’t making more mistakes than they did before; it’s just that the mistakes are more visible now because of all the writing we do in emails, social media, and text messages. When we recognize this, other causes of language degradation enter the picture. Many are more systemic than Internet use and have been issues for decades, including (but not limited to) what is effectively stagnation in K–12 English reading and writing proficiency. (See the long-term national data on reading and writing. Note especially the middle and high school averages.)

To improve writing on the Internet, we need to improve writing in general. This must happen in the classroom, early and often. There are several great web tools to assist educators in this endeavor, of which Grammarly is only one. Other helpful resources include:

• interactive guides like those from ReadWriteThink;
• community forums and discussion boards, like Grammarly Answers and English Forums;
• quality word tools, such as Grammarly Words (a dictionary-thesaurus hybrid aimed at helping you choose the best words, not just different ones); and
• traditional teaching materials like those from The National Writing Project and  The Schreyer Institute.

However, there is no escaping that for the most effective improvement, quality English and writing education needs to become a political and social priority.

Also, we must admit that, just as there are back alleys on the web where English gets kicked around, abused, and left to die (check out any YouTube comments section), there are also many places where correct language is still revered (see, especially, serious blogs and news sources, such as the New York Times). And there are many more places where the quality of the language is what you make of it; that is, both casual and more formal language styles are supported (Facebook and many other social networks are good examples). It is due to blogs, forums, and social networks that people are writing more than ever before. This is a good thing. Furthermore, the Internet is an equalizer; people from all strata of society are free to explore various kinds of writing as never before. This is a great thing.

We should let these communities thrive as they will, discouraging intellectual finger-pointing and encouraging context-appropriate writing along the way. However, we do need to teach people how to differentiate between informal textspeak and the formal, more standard writing style suited for public and professional writing.

What effect do you think the Internet has had on writing?