Sometimes, I feel uninspired. Okay, so often times, I feel uninspired. My inspiration or as I call it my “idea generation mechanism”, often only functions in spurts. I’ll go days without thinking of anything new to write about or make a video on, and then BAM! 20 new ideas, right there in the inbox. Then I’ll go without again for days on end.

It can be a bit demoralizing, because on those blank spots, it feels like nothing is getting accomplished. So, as time has gone on, I’ve found the best way to spur idea momentum. I just have an idea. That sounded dumb, but if I can poke and prod my brain into having just a single idea, even if it’s an idea I had before, I often times can spur it into having another and another and another. My entire personality is built on this idea, really. I’ve talked before about how I’m a creature of habit, and that my inertia is set to 0 unless something kicks me into motion. (Not a science guy, so may have used the wrong word there). If I can get my lazy ass to do one thing, I can often prod myself into doing everything I need to do. Once I get the process in motion, I’m good as gold.

It’s the starting that is the issue, and ideas are no different. Once I can get myself to think of that first idea, I often find myself in a very inspired state for hours on end. Maybe I’m not unusual in this, I don’t know. But I do know that manual idea generation is harder than waiting for the ideas to come to you. It’s why I scroll through YouTube and through other’s blog feeds so much (not the only reason, of course, but its as good an excuse as any). I can often kickstart that one idea from something I see someone else do. Again, I don’t think I’m special in that regard, but it happens more of than a truly spontaneous idea happens, which is what I’m striving for. Idea generation mechanism enabled.

It is one of the reasons why I love RSS. I get a ton of ideas from my fellow bloggers. The best ideas are stolen from others, or so I’m told. But going through there usually stirs up enough mental whatever to get my IGM going, and then I will be as inspired as I ever get.

When I do get spontaneous ideas, I’ve written before about where I get them most often.