We all get into creative ruts as bloggers or entrepreneurs. It’s hard to continue creating new content when things in your life are off or you’re just not feeling it. SO, this is my go-to list. I love to write and sometimes I just need a little push in the creative direction. Follow me on Instagram for more day-to-day creativity tips and to see what I’m up to – @MadisonCrowley.

★ Go to spin class. 
Are we surprised this is my first response? Nope! Spin class is my go-to for endorphins and a high. I am always ready to conquer the day after spin class.

★ Get off of Facebook. Go to Pinterest and search something SPECIFIC that you want to learn or write about.
For me lately, I have been searching “branding”. I love learning about the branding process and how I can take details of my brand to every aspect of my blog and Instagram or YouTube. I like learning about new fonts. I like seeing new color palettes. That gets me inspired to finish writing a blog post that I have been saving as a draft, and working hard so that I can expand my brand.

★ Go back to the page/website/person/Instagram/whatever that made you want to start blogging. For me, this is reading Payton Sartain’s blog or watching her YouTube videos. 
I gain a lot of inspiration from other people. I think that if you want to learn how to be great at something, study other people who are succeeding in the area that you are trying to succeed in yourself. Take notes. Watch how they interact. How they post and when they post. If they are killing it, chances are you can learn from them. NOTE: This does not mean copy. Don’t plagiarize. Don’t steal people’s ideas. Don’t copy their outfits. Don’t make your blog or vlog the same as theirs. Simply gather ideas, see if you could do a similar post in your own voice that will speak to your own personal audience. And then remember why you’re doing that you are doing. Write down what you take from their blog. Write down how it makes you feel. Not figure out how to make your audience feel that.

★ Watch Danielle Carolan’s YouTube videos.
I have been watching Danielle Carolan’s videos for a while now and they bring so much light into my life!!! I love that she is in Athens and I get to reminisce about my days at UGA but I also just love her hustle. She inspires me to get my butt up and go after what I want. It’s not going to just be handed to you!!! I think what I love most about her vlogs and Insta is that it’s literally just her life. Payton’s life is kinda dreamy, like a goal or farfetched at times. Danielle is just a college gal living her life on trend and with passion. Kinda how I want to live my life. We can’t all be glamorous all of the time ( not that Payton claims to be, it’s just sometimes the pressure that I put on myself as a blogger ) and I think it’s important to not lose that.

★ Read The Skinny Confidential or listen to The Him and Her Podcast.
Lauryn Evarts is SO INSPIRING. Like everything that she does. Google her blog and podcast. You won’t regret it.

★ Go to a coffee shop.
Pretty sure nothing inspires me as much as going to a coffee shop. If you know me and have been following me for a while, you know that one of my favorite things to do is to find new, cute coffee shops. Coffee shops have an atmosphere that promotes hard work and the coolest vibes. I write some of my best posts and short stories in coffee shops.

★ Hang out with friends who inspire me.
I have so many friends who are also creatives. That’s like one of the best parts of being a blogger, getting to know and hang out with people who have the same entrepreneurial spirit that I do. For example, just hanging out with Halleson, shooting random stuff, makes me want to go create content for the world. Taking photos and spitballing ideas is so much fun for me.

★ Pick up a magazine.
I love Vogue, obviously. I love reading the in-depth articles that journalists get to have with such talented human beings. I love how magazines keep pushing out original ( mostly ) content and new ideas. Being a blogger, you are your own personal magazine editor. You get to bring the creative ideas to the table. You get to execute your thoughts just as you want to see them. How cool is that? GET CREATIVE. What do you want to learn about? Research it. Then once you have some solid knowledge, write about it! That’s literally what journalists do. No one starts out as an expert.

★ Read my old blog posts.
My old blog posts show me how far I have come. They show me the effort and strength that I have. They also remind me of why I am creating the content that I am creating NOW as opposed to when I started as just a fashion blogger. Fashion is amazing and wonderful and I still love it. But at the end of the day, they are just pieces of fabric. If I didn’t design the clothing, I simply put together an outfit, yes I am being creative and making myself feel confident through my clothes, but I haven’t necessarily HELPED anyone. And shifting my focus to creating valuable content in addition to styling cute outfits, has given me more purpose.

★ Read through all of my blog posts ideas on my phone in my notes (if you haven’t started a list like this, start it!).
It’s also okay to take generic ideas from your favorite bloggers and make them your own. Danielle made a video like this blog post a long time ago and it inspired me. I got the idea from her so it was INSPIRED by her but all of my points are unique to myself and what inspires ME. As creatives, we all have these times.

★ Literally just get outside. 
Last but not least, get your a$$ up. I get so much inspo from just getting out of my house. Stop staring at the walls of your office or room, put down your phone and stop scrolling through Instagram. Go to Target, Nordstrom, the movies, anything!! Staying inside 24/7 is the easiest way to lose all motivation and creativity. Not saying that you can’t find inspiration at home, but when you are in a rut, it’s best to get out and find inspiration.

Everyone has different things that inspire them. Find yours and write them down! It’s important to know where to go when you are feeling like you are in a rut. If you do something that’s not on this list, comment on my latest Instagram post what it is!

‘Til next time,