Find Inspiration for Your Next Blog Post in the World Around You!

Guest Post: By Janette Dolores

Has Your Blogging Muse Left You High and Dry?
Find Inspiration for Your Next Blog Post in the World Around You...

We bloggers appreciate the wealth of opportunities that blogging provides.
Blogging gives us a forum where we can showcase our creativity, enlighten our readers and forge contacts in the writing world. Despite this, some of us may have experienced…well…a love-hate relationship with our blogs.

In fact, sometimes we'll fear that our muse is "missing in action" as we sit at the computer, rack our brain for our next blog post topic and come up with nada. Nothing we consider engaging or illuminating or even entertaining, anyway. 

If you’ve ever found yourself distraught that your idea-well has run dry, take heart! Inspiration is all around you. You need only take a moment to slow down and notice it.

Consider these five sources of blogging inspiration, all available at your fingertips:

1. The Calendar
The time of year can provide a treasure trove of blogging topics. Women’s History Month may invigorate you to write a post on the victories of female trailblazers. Is Independence Day on the horizon? Craft a short piece on the history of these great United States. Holidays such as Thanksgiving, Chanukah and Christmas all lend themselves to posts on tradition, family, spirituality and travel. The wintertime is an apt time for posts on illness-prevention, and the summertime may spark a post on your most memorable road trips from years gone by.

2. Billboards and Signs
There is some interesting signage out there that can serve as a springboard for blog posts. On my blog, one of my most widely-read posts emerged from the following statement: “To be loved, be lovable.” This sage one-liner with universal appeal caught my eye as I was driving home one day. Where was it written? On a church billboard. Likewise, a “No Trespassing” sign I saw on a driveway shared by two houses spurred me to write one post on respecting boundaries, and another on striking the right balance between your needs and those of others.

3. Interviews of Your Friends and Family
You may not be aware of how many accomplished, dynamic people you know until you show an interest in their history. Ask your friends and family questions about their childhood, countries they’ve visited, jobs they’ve held or dreams they’ve had. You may know a war veteran, a champion of the less fortunate, a homeschooling parent of three or an aspiring artist. I know a former paralegal who had taken acting classes at night for years. Since she and I both write, she shared with me that she had written a play and joined a theater group. Before I knew it, she was performing her play on a Manhattan stage to rave reviews. I was so inspired by her story that I interviewed her for what would become one of my first blog posts.

4. Interactions Going on Around You
Reality check: I’m not advocating staring a hole through people here, everybody. What I’m referring to in this point is simply sitting in the park or a coffee shop and being moved to write by the tender hand-holding of an elderly couple, or the giggles of college kids daring each other to jump into a park fountain. I once witnessed an interaction between a harried restaurant employee and his badgering boss. That motivated me to pen a piece on redirecting your life’s course to invest in a more enjoyable future, even if you have to take those first bold steps afraid.

5. Book or Movie Reviews
Sometimes we need to savor someone else’s creativity to prod our writing muse awake. Drop by your local bookstore and purchase that book you’ve been meaning to read or watch that highly-touted movie and then write about it. People routinely buy books and rent films based on the recommendations of others, so why not get pay for your say?

In short, the next time you find yourself staring at the computer screen, frustrated that ideas aren’t flowing forth, take a breath, notice the world around you and be inspired!

Janette Dolores is a devoted mom, wife, and blogger. She is passionate about family and spirituality, and draws inspiration for her writing from everyday experiences. Read more of her posts at www.janettedolores.com.

Any of these ideas resonate? What inspires you, writers?
　

　
Image: Freedigitalphotos.net