My Sources of Inspiration
How my favorite creators get me out of a creative rut.
Creativity can be the most rewarding, and frustrating endeavor.
If you are creative, You MUST be creative. Your quality of life depends on it. If that's you, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Undoubtedly, the ability to show up and do the work makes a good creative. This has been the biggest hack for my creative life professionally, sit down and do it.
Every time I do this, inspiration comes….Eventually.
Other times it can feel like I am chasing the wind.
So sometimes cheat the system and go to YouTube for inspiration
(Not Procrastination)
These are my go-to content creators that inspire me the most (Oh and the best writer I have ever read.)
TLDR: Here is how I inspire myself to sit down and do the work — I watch other people sit down and do work, and then I feel like sitting down and doing the work.
These are the people.
- Adrien Sanguinetti
- Anthony Doerr
- Marko
- Paolo fromTOKYO
- Casey Neistat.
Why They Inspire Me
They Might Inspire You Too.
1. Adrien Sanguinetti
Photography is one of my passions. Watching Adrien Sanguinetti’s videos reminds me of that passion in a deep emotional way.
His photography isn’t systematic, it isn’t corporate, and it isn’t a money-making YouTube guru’s approach to cameras.
It’s Art.
And sometimes, I need that reminder for myself.
2. Anthony Doerr
Author of “All The Light We Cannot See”
Reading this book ruined writing for me in the best way possible.
The cadence of every sentence, the way his words flow off of the page and into your soul, a story that feels like poetry.
When I read this alongside “On Writing Well” by William Zinsser.
Writing came alive to me.
3. Marko
Marko is a software engineer, his day-in-the-life videos inspire me in many ways, but usually in business.
As a freelancer watching someone else enjoy their work, I am motivated to achieve the same thing.
Since work takes up a huge amount of your lifetime, you might as well make it the best experience possible.
4. Paolo fromTOKYO
I love Japan. I visited Tokyo when I was 14 and the impression it left on my life has been felt every day since.
It’s good to get a view of life from the other side of the world. Not everyone approaches things the same way that I do in America.
Although the Japanese work ethic was extreme in former years, watching Paolo’s Day in the Life, or Behind the Counter series stirs me to approach my work like a fine craft.
Seeing the commitment and dedication that some of the people in his videos carry into their work helps me to see my potential.
Realizing that I am capable of so much more.
5. Casey Neistat.
This man needs no introduction, He invented the genre of cinematic vlogging.
Since I am a media freelancer, when there are days that I need some creative inspiration, Casey Neistat always provides that.
He reminds me that everything I am creating has a story to be told, and part of my creative endeavor is to discover the story that's being told.
What are your favorite sources of inspiration? Let me know in the comments!
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