What to do when you lose your inspiration…and 3 ways to get it back
Lately I’ve been wondering — why on EARTH do I do this?
Why do I spend hours filming and meticulously editing videos and photos? Why do I spend time researching and curating guides and itineraries and writing long Instagram captions that many people don’t bother to read?
Because honestly, it can be exhausting. I jump from my work computer to my personal laptop in the evening, often spending more time in front of screens of varying sizes than out there, adventuring.
When I first got into content creation, it was personal. And I think a lot of us start out this way. I created videos capturing travel memories in a cinematic way, knowing that I can look back on those moments and appreciate them. Relive them and truly feel them again.
As my skills evolved and the influencer industry boomed, I became intrigued by the idea of turning my passion into something more.
But here’s the thing about monetizing your hobby: what used to be a low-stakes passion project can very suddenly turn into a commercialization of your life, your experiences. Attaching likes and follows to deeply personal, meaningful moments that are special to you. You saw the most amazing waterfall in the rainforest? Meh, that post flopped so maybe it wasn’t all that great. These moments become staged and acted out for the sake of the algorithms and brand deals.
And THAT…is a slippery slope. THAT…is where you can very easily lose sight of your passion and what inspires you to do something in the first place.
Okay so…what’s the solution?!
Anytime I feel myself losing touch with why I started photography and video creation in the first place, I do a few things to help myself reconnect with my inspiration.
If this sounds like something you might benefit from, read on!
Tip 1. Physically leave your home
So here I am, scrolling away on my little social media apps and I keep seeing this insane footage of Iceland. I think damn, these landscapes are incredible. The drone footage is epic. Icelandic horses are so rad. This country looks like something from a Tolkien novel. I want to go to there.
And so I did.
Because either I could keep scrolling and consuming this content or I could go and experience it for myself. Because I could tell, instantly, that this place was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It was a photographer’s paradise. There were waterfalls and lighthouses and mountains and whales and little mossy covered cottages and puffins and black sand beaches and I needed to get there and photograph it all.
And listen, it was so worth it. At the time of this writing, I would’ve been back from this trip for over two months and yet I’m still working on creating some of my best photographs and videos. I realized how much I truly love capturing unique natural landscapes and I was reminded, with a deep feeling of gratitude, of just how beautiful our world is.
But you know what, you don’t have to go all the way to Iceland to experience these feelings! I mean you CAN, and I support and encourage that, but you don’t have to.
Because we all have places near us that shape and inspire us.
Grab your camera and go to…
Your local botanic garden
A museum
An art gallery
The farmer’s market
A hiking trail
The dog park (even if you don’t have a dog)
Your backyard
Your friend’s backyard
An old used book store
That part of the city with really pretty architecture
A spot to watch the sunset
The coffee shop
A random spot from Atlas Obscura
A place you’d recommend to a visitor from out of town
The zoo
An abandoned amusement park
The whole point is to go and experience life as you should, as any human should— outside their own four walls and outside of their phone screen and away from the pressure to create. You’re looking for something new that’ll trigger your inspiration, not knowing what you’ll bump into along the way.
Tip 2. Maybe read a book instead? (or watch a good movie)
I know, I KNOW. This sounds so simple but I find it incredibly helpful when it comes to reigniting your inspiration and generally being a well-rounded creator.
Something my college professor once said still resonates with me today, even though it was completely outside of this context. At the time, I was considering becoming a clinical psychologist. A person whose literal job is to connect with and understand human emotions and behaviors on a deep level so that you could help them through their mental challenges.
And he once told us, that to be a great psychologist you need to do one thing.
Read great literature.
I was honestly shocked — I thought he’d go on about publishing research articles or going to grad school or landing a prestigious internship. But no, to connect with and understand people, you need to get inside the heads of complex characters with depth (hence “great” literature, not like…50 Shades of Grey or the Twilight Saga, no offense).
Because in all likelihood, most of us are creatures of routine and habit in which we rarely encounter extraordinary situations and impossible odds that we have overcome. Becoming immersed in the lives of book or movie characters is more than just entertainment — it’s a way of broadening our perspectives and living through unique moments that are mostly impossible for you to experience.
For example, if you love travel writing or high-stakes alpine adventures, find books or documentaries within that genre. I recently did this exact thing and read Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer and…holy shit. It made me look at mountains in an entirely new way. Not a book fan? Watch the documentary series, Edge of the Earth on HBO! Not only is it visually stunning, but the cinematic style of storytelling is sure to spark some inspiration in you.
Tip 3. Create something that’s meaningful to YOU
Do you ever find yourself developing a piece of content just because it’s part of a trend? Or editing a TikTok or Instagram Reel using an audio track that you’ve heard a thousand times, so many times that you’re sick of hearing it…and yet here you are…listening to it and clipping together a video that doesn’t really make you feel anything, but you think hey, this is what I have to do?
The problem is, your heart isn’t in it, and that’ll come through. Half the time I create something because I’m trying to churn out content, it just flops. It flops for me and it flops for you and it flops for everybody.
That’s because what creators create is, at its basis, an art form. It should be unique and personal. We are hoping to connect with real humans who have dreams and aspirations and feelings, who are scrolling past their screens, wishing to be immersed or heard or inspired or educated.
But while entertainment or some kind of utility might be one goal, you need to think about what’s meaningful to you. Not only will it reignite your passion for the process, but the result will be something truly original…and maybe even something you’re truly proud of.
To summarize…
Ultimately, and in my experience, I find that creativity and inspiration can get squashed when you spend too much time following trends and creating things that don’t mean anything to you.
You need to seek real life experiences, identify those that trigger some kind of passion inside you, and then create things that are meaningful to you, not just for the sake of churning out content. It takes just a bit of stepping back, reevaluating, and then aligning what you’re passionate about with your overall strategy and goals as a content creator.
So many people quit or give up or struggle to stay consistent because they feel a sudden pressure to perform or create what they think will pave a road to money and fame and flashy sponsorships. They lose sight of what inspired them to become creators in the first place.
But, it’s never too late to find your inspiration.
