Has anyone been working their way through our winter blog post ideas list? While there’s still plenty of time to get inspired by those seasonal ideas, February can be a slow time for inspiration altogether. The allure of the new year is starting to wear off, and while we’re diving into work, we’re not always excited about it. Hopefully these 5 incredibly simple old school places to go for blog ideas (or other creative inspiration) will give you a boost!
The Library
I spend so much time working at coffee shops I’m not sure why it took me so long to start going to the library again. Three and a half years in Los Angeles and I hadn’t set foot inside one! The library was an endless source of inspiration for me as a kid, so I’ve been visiting the one in my neighborhood lately. Once someone suggested I go work there (um, library cards are free and so is the WIFI, and there are tons of outlets. What.), I was hooked. I found myself checking out books, enjoying much needed quiet time, and even dreaming up this post. Now I just need to petition them to add a coffee bar…
The Park
I almost didn’t include this because I know it’s snowy and raining in a huge part of the country right now, but if you happen to be somewhere with decent weather, the park is a fun little way to go for ideas. It’s so much less of a commitment than going on a hike, so I can do it on a break, and they’re never very busy. Some of the blog posts I’ve brainstormed from being at the park are about self-care, meditation, the benefits of walking, how to help your environment, and how to work from home better. All possible because I spent a little time enjoying nature.
If you’re looking for something a bit more tranquil, I suggest botanical gardens too!
A Conservatory
Two of my favorite conservatories are the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle and the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco. Those two are pretty well known but there are many others in cities around the world that I’m always hearing about. This is a great place to take your camera and get inspired for the visual content of your blog (and so many Instagrams!), and it’s also just another nice quiet place to brainstorm. They’ll also have professionals there you can ask questions to, which could inspire future posts too. And in the case of those bigger ones, they’re near a lot of museums and other inspiring places… Make a day of it!
A Flea Market
If you’ve never got into bargain hunting at the flea market, now’s the time. There are tons of flea markets in the LA area (Rose Bowl, Melrose, Long Beach, etc.), and it’s a perfect sunny day activity. A lot of times I don’t buy much, but I end up with tons of Instagram content, not to mention color, style, and home décor inspiration to blog about. When you’re walking the aisles, take note of anything you might want to post about in the future and you can dig into those ideas later.
The Water
Whether it’s the beach, a sound, a river, bay, lake, etc., these places are teeming with wildlife and for me it’s a great low-key way to practice photography and get inspired by nature. Here in southern California I like to go to beaches like Crystal Cove—it’s not your typical lounge-on-the-beach park, but a sanctuary of wildlife with lots of nearby trails and cliffs. I also love beaches that have inspiring materials like driftwood and sea shells that can inspire creative projects.
These little “field trips” are some of my fave ways to unplug, but on days where I really need to come up with a content plan, it’s nice that these same getaways can also be productive!
Dan says
Another good one is the farmer’s market.
Klara Donovan says
I’m a die-hard cafe` writer. I’ve tried the park, the beach, but none of it is quite right. I think I get too caught up in the logistics – the sun glare on my screen, the weather, the lack of wifi… ah well.