The 9 Causes Of Lack Of Inspiration (and How To Manage Them)
Inspiration is the mental state that allows us to be highly creative, come up with innovative solutions or reach an original solution to a new problem, so although we usually relate it to the world of art and crafts, it has relevance in many areas of life. . Although yes, this phenomenon comes and goes, and we don’t always feel equally inspired.
In this article we will talk about the causes of lack of inspiration and what to do to feel inspired again.
We could define inspiration as a state that allows the subject to be creative or find answers not previously considered. In this way, we can observe inspiration in different areas or contexts. This quality allows us to find new, innovative solutions that until now the subject had not had in mind or had not valued; It is not only relevant in the art world
On many occasions we use this term especially in the artistic field, such as painting, drawing, writing… Thus, despite being able to find subjects who are more easily inspired, they will not always be inspired, since, as we have seen, This is a state and, therefore, fluctuates depending on the moment and the situation. We will see that there are conditions that help achieve inspiration, while others will make it difficult for it to take place.
Causes that cause a lack of inspiration
So, we already know that there may be different factors that influence our state of inspiration, for this reason when we find ourselves lacking ideas, creativity… In short, we are uninspired. The best way to act in this state and regain inspiration is to consider and assess what is the cause that generates this decrease, this feeling of blockage, in order to be able to deal with it
Let’s see then what are some of the most common causes that can generate this lack of inspiration. These are very diverse and belong to different areas of the individual and the management of emotions.
1. Self-reinforced feeling of emptiness
Feeling like we don’t have any ideas or that the ideas we do have are no good is a very common experience. Thus, self-sabotage occurs where the subject’s own thinking blocks inspiration, because we get used to being very harsh or pessimistic when it comes to evaluating what goes through our minds. It is the individual himself who hinders and reduces the possibility of feeling inspired, given that although he is not aware of it, he feels an interest in feeding a tragic or sad narrative about what happens to him, to give meaning to the experience.
It is about the fear of expressing ourselves and that others can read, see, know our creation. In tasks related to creativity and the expression of feelings, it is relatively common for authors to be terrified of this perspective, especially in their first steps: The work continues to be part of us, a way of expressing how we feel, what we like, what scares us.
Thus, self-blocking can also occur due to shame or reluctance to let others know or know about us.
3. Fatigue
One of the most common reasons that we may not take into account is fatigue itself. To achieve inspiration you need to be mentally active and awake but at the same time, not feeling how the focus of attention is displaced towards the experience of discomfort or exhaustion.
In this way, if we do not have a healthy routine (to keep the body in optimal conditions and with energy), if we have not rested enough, our conditions may not be adequate to be inspired: we may occasionally experience some interesting idea, but we will get rid of it before trying to experiment with what it has given us.
4. Stress at work
Work stress can be due to multiple situations: a high demand for work, a very authoritarian and demanding boss, a bad relationship with colleagues, a bad work environment… In short, they are factors that, apart from tiring you out mentally, also create in you a situation of tension and discomfort that affects creativity. And you will hardly be able to dedicate yourself to creative work. if you are always in “alert mode” directing your attention to possible signs that you should deal with an emergency, that you should start resolving accumulated responsibilities as soon as possible, etc.
It is one thing to open your mind to inspiration and another to become very sensitive to any indication that you should act quickly to avoid danger or risks at work.
5. Be very perfectionist
Wanting to do things well is, in general, good, since it helps the subject to make an effort and stay focused on the task. But one extreme of this tendency to be perfectionist ceases to be functional, since the individual becomes inflexible and becomes more exposed to the fear of failure, something that paradoxically leads to not daring to put one’s own ideas into practice.
If the person is not able to begin to apply or develop a creative idea, they will never value it as good enough resulting in a state of blockage where the subject will not be able to move forward, thus making inspiration difficult and impeding.
6. Low mood
When we are not well emotionally, either due to a specific event that affects our mood or because we simply do not feel 100% for no apparent reason, this state of apathy, low mood, affects our mental activity, making it less fluid That is, emotional impairment is also linked to cognitive impairment, leading to a decrease or lack of inspiration.
7. Being too rational or logical
A characteristic or ability that is related to inspiration is the flexibility that allows us to find different alternatives propose different answers, which do not have to be the usual ones.
When we have very logical or rational thinking and we expect everything to be the same, we appear rigid, we only conceive the problem or reality in the same way, we do not allow for variation. This results, as we already mentioned, in a blockage and the impossibility of continuing to move forward, thus affecting the individual’s state of inspiration.
8. Lack of motivation
Low motivation appears when we are not willing or directed towards a goal or objective, either because we are not clear about what destination we want to reach or because the goal we have set for ourselves is too abstract This lack of motivation obviously impacts our inspiration and our ability to create or achieve the expected result.
9. Lack of time
The lack of time to dedicate to the task also harms our state of inspiration, either because other daily obligations do not allow it or because it is difficult for us to get and stay focused on the activity.
To be inspired, it is necessary to organize our time well and dedicate at least a few minutes to the task or activity we want to do, since if not, it is very difficult to connect images or ideas in our mind: There will always be something that will pull them to apply them to other responsibilities and activities
How to increase inspiration
Now that we know some of the causes that can lead to a lack of inspiration, it is easier to understand what solutions or strategies can help improve our sensitivity to creativity.
1. Face the situation
The fear of not doing it perfectly, of what others will think or of believing that all our ideas are wrong or worthless generates in us a refusal to act and thus avoid the situation. But The only way to get inspiration is to face the situation and pay attention to the task we want to do ; If we do not concentrate on it and only avoid it, it is very difficult (if not impossible) for inspiration to arise, we do not let it take place in our mind.
If we have been focusing on the same activity or objective for some time and we feel that we are not making progress and we feel increasingly blocked, the best option is to stop for a more or less long time, to get us to clear our heads and face the task again with greater motivation and with other ideas in mind more easily to consider other perspectives.
3. Do another activity
Although it may seem that stopping the activity that concerns us to do something else produces a waste of time, actually changing tasks can help us open our mind, unblock ourselves and adopt another perspective on things. The reason is that It will help us break the thought loops that we have been feeding by always thinking about the same things and in front of the same objects and stimuli ; It is a way to “mix” sensations, emotions and thoughts.
In this way, not only will it not slow us down, but it will help us get out of trouble and be able to move forward.
4. Find what motivates you
As we have already seen, motivation is very important to stay inspired. In this way, it is essential to select what tasks or topics we like and carry out or focus on what we really like. Once we have connected emotionally with something that motivates us, New ideas will flow through us and we can take advantage of them for other things
Even so, we know that in life not everything is so easy and that sometimes we must perform tasks that are not entirely to our liking; In these cases, try to see small points or reasons in favor that keep you motivated, such as the purpose of this task, what you can achieve, what the task entails, the sensations it gives you, the signs that you have been learning something that you considered difficult, etc.
5. Change the way you approach the activity
Another strategy that may also be useful to you is to change the way you carry out or plan the activity; curiously, The fact of putting limitations on ourselves when considering solving a creative problem helps us to have more ideas than if we had more options.
We may feel stuck and uninspired, but there are different ways of approaching the task that can help us value and take into account other perspectives, regardless of the ones we had been using until that moment. Thus, we can try to focus on another part of the activity, or use other topics and/or materials from which to start.
