Stalling for inspiration
Don't wait for inspiration. Often times you need to show up and build towards your goals without feeling inspired.
Sometimes I don't feel like writing. But when you sit down and put your fingers on the keyboard, you come up with something. It might not be your best work, but sometimes I am happier with what I come up with in those moments than when I feel inspired. The same goes for design work or anything else I need to do.
Seth Godin phrases it well, "Do the work, ship the work, now you're creative. Not the other way around. Don't wait for it to be perfect. Don't wait to be inspired."
Jack White shares the same sentiment with songwriting.
"Not every day are you gonna wake up and the clouds are gonna part and the rays from heaven are gonna come down and you’re gonna write a song from it. Sometimes you’re just gonna get in there and force yourself to work, maybe something good will come of it. That was one of the things, whether we like it or not, write some songs, and record them. Force yourself. Book only four or five days in the studio and force yourself to record an album. Deadlines make you creative. But opportunity and telling yourself, ‘Oh, you got all the time in the world, all the money in the world, you’ve got all the colors in the palette you want, anything you want, that just kills creativity."
Inspiration is a pool of creativity. It will never compete with a persistent river of grinding effort that doesn't feel inspired.
