Have an Adventure

You ever find your inspiration for creativity waning? Do you ever wonder what you can do to spice creativity up a little? Actually, there are many ways to get your creativity back.  All you need to do is find a little inspiration. Inspiration can be as close as a walk in the park or as exciting and far away is visiting somewhere that you’ve always wanted to go.

I have a park with a lake in it just about a third of a mile from my house. Sometimes I will go out walking around it. And, if I find anything new or exciting, I will take a picture of that with my phone. Then I will come home, look over the images I have taken (usually between eight and 10) and either blow them up and print them out to put in my daily planner or add them to the background images on my computer or tablet.

It could be the fresh air, catching a little sunshine or just the excitement of getting out and seeing something new, that makes me feel better. Sometimes I’ll just walk to the downtown area to find inspiration. And sometimes I will drive out to a more extensive park, like Garden of the Gods, or Red Rocks Park and do some hiking and climbing. I always seem to find something exciting and have some fun doing it.

On occasions, I get to travel somewhere. Whether to a son’s wedding in Arizona work trip to visit grandkids in Walla Walla or other family members around the country, I always make it a time for adventure. There are boat rides or baseball games or concerts to add to the experience. These days, even flying seems to be an adventure.

When I am on these adventures, I try to pick up on some sort of theme and write a fictional short story just to have fun with the various things that I see and do. No one else ever has to see or read the short story. I am making it for my own entertainment and to practice a little creativity. Have you ever found compelling circumstances and just for the fun of it written down a quick short story? You should try it. Make it as straightforward or as outrageous as you want to, just make it yours and have fun doing it.

If you’re an artist paint a picture, write a poem, mold a sculpture or do whatever you do with your art. You never know what kind of inspiration you will find out of these outings. There is one thing that is for sure. You will never realize the potential of these exercises until you go out and try.

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Author: Mike Balof

A retired Air Force Master Sergeant, Mike used to lay in bed at night and worry about what would happen if his plant closed or found himself without a job. One day his plant closed. Rather than panic and hysteria (OK, maybe a little) Mike found himself carried away on the adventure of his life. Mike started with the best job he ever had working at Home Depot. He spent 8 years working with job seekers at a local workforce center, helping them to find employment. He then started his own company developing courses, writing books and urging others to follow their own paths into the future. Mike holds a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training and a Bachelor of Business Management, earned through the University of Phoenix and an AAS degree in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Mike is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society. View all posts by Mike Balof