Sometimes all it takes is looking from a different angle.

Sometimes when you’re trying to write for your blog once again, it’s hard to get going. It can feel like everything you have to say about your subject has already been said. It’s not really writer’s block. You’re able to write coherent sentences. It’s just that you can’t find anything interesting to say. Here are some easy tips anyone can use to get inspired and write beautiful, unique articles.

1. Always have an ideas book with you: I can’t say this enough. Your ideas book is like an artist’s sketchbook. Everywhere you go, look for scenes, people, songs, books, and quotes that make you think, make you laugh, make you cry. It doesn’t matter what the source is: TV, other blogs, small children, old people, rap music, a walk on a moonlight night, or the goofy cashier at the grocery store. If it touches you, jot down a note. You can even keep photographs or drawings in a file on your computer or at your desk. Even if it doesn’t seem relevant to your blog, there may be a time that you can use it. Quotes and metaphors are interesting. They draw people in and get them reading what could otherwise seem boring and dry, like yesterday’s toast. When you’re having an uninspired day, take a look at the material you’ve collected. You might just have something shining in there.

2. Seek out inspiration: If you sit at home watching Full House reruns all day, what do you have to write about? Watch inspiring movies, listen to music that really moves you. Find interesting-looking people you have never really talked to, and ask them about their life. Learn a new hobby, or explore an old interest more deeply. Read religious, spiritual or motivational books to help guide your life.

3. Surround yourself with beauty: There is truth in Feng Shui. If you are surrounded by grey walls, with no pictures or life, how can your writing blossom? Add some color, a fish tank, a potted plant. If you can’t change your interior decoration, take a walk outside, or write in a journal at the park. Beautiful space generates peace and ideas.

4. Learn new words: dictionary.com has a free daily “word of the day” e-mail subscription with interesting words. When you read or hear new words that you don’t know the meaning for, look them up, and write them down. Expanding your vocabulary and using a thesaurus is a great way to make your writing more stimulating (a synonym for “interesting”, which I’ve been using too much!).

5. Learn from others: Read other blogs. Learn how other people get their inspiration, and ask for tips. If you see a great idea, write it down in your ideas book, with a reference of where you saw it. You can’t copy exactly what they said, of course, but you can use their idea to burst off in another direction. Flag people who have good ideas and make you think and spend some time once a week soaking up their ingenuity and freshness.

6. Take a new perspective: Sometimes you’ve got to look at a thing from a different angle. Like hanging upside down from your ankles from a moving vehicle. Take a step back, and view your project as a stranger would. Perhaps even ask a stranger to evaluate what you’re doing. What do they like? What needs some work? What makes you unique? Or put yourself in a new situation. Do something you’re not used to. Talk to people not in your bubble. Make yourself uncomfortable, in a good way, and become someone else for a moment. Then bring that exciting, edge of the world feeling back to your work. You may never want to go back.

7. Interact: Communicate with your readers, but also communicate with the outside world. Post thoughtful comments on other blogs, ask questions, and get involved with your colleagues and social networking. I have been doing these things a lot in the last month, and my traffic has increased exponentially, which is exciting. Additionally, it is such a motivation to wake up in the morning and have personal messages and comments sitting in my inbox with feedback about my site, questions for me, and offers for guest posts and trades.

What is your inspiration? Comment below and tell us about it.

Photo credit: anitapatterson on morguefile.com

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