Inspiration boards are super helpful – but only if you understand the strategy behind creating and using it so it’s actually effective in restoking your creative fire.
Not your average inspiration board!
One question I’m asked fairly often is, “How do you keep up the energy on a project when that initial enthusiasm begins to wane?”
Your photography just doesn’t feel fresh anymore, and you’re not excited to go shoot for this project.
Now, I am never surprised when this issue pops up. I’ve experienced it too. Creative minds like ours thrive on novelty and the pursuit of fresh ideas.
It’s kind of our superpower in a lot of ways, but it means we have a really hard time when it comes to seeing things through.
When our once thrilling project gets difficult or stale, we struggle and often veer off to a new project that feels easier or simply has that new project shine.
So, how do we get through these tough moments inside a photography project we care about but are losing momentum on?
How do we re-stoke that fire and revive creativity? I recently experienced this myself and turned to one simple but very powerful tool.
I’m going to tell you all about that tool because I believe it can help you stay on track inside a photography project even when that momentum starts to fade, even when the shine of something new looks super appealing.
All right, let’s dig in.
The Magic Tool: An Inspiration Board
This tool, this oh-so-powerful, awesome, magical tool, is actually a very straightforward concept. You’re going to pull together images that inspire you inside of your project into one place.
You’ll look for ideas that make you feel energized and excited to work on your own photography project and pull them into one place.
But there’s a trick to this, and that’s what I’m going to walk you through.
We’re going to use an inspiration board, but not just any inspiration board. We’re going to make it effective.
You might have tried something like this before where you curate all these images and throw them into a folder or a Pinterest board and never look at it again.
We’re going to talk about how to actually make this inspiration board effective to reenergize you and keep you going inside your project.
Step 1: Decide on a Platform
First things first, decide on a platform. How do you want to view your inspirational images? Think critically about this. What is something you can return to on an ongoing basis that feels natural?
Here are a few ideas:
- Create a Google document where you cut and paste images from across the web.
- Create a poster board where you paste clippings from publications.
- Keep a binder with images held in sheet protectors.
- Create a Pinterest board.
It doesn’t matter how it’s done, as long as you choose a method that helps you feel inspired. You know best if you need it to be a printed poster board in front of you or if a digital inspiration board will work fine.
Personally, I need those images in front of me, hung in a place where I can just glance and see them.
If it’s in a digital platform, it gets lost among all those open tabs or I forget to look at it.
But if it’s hung on a wall, it’s really helpful. So, decide on a platform that works best for you.
Step 2: Curate Inspirational Images
Next, load up your inspiration board with images. Here are a few methods:
- Do a Google search on the topic you’re photographing.
- Pull together a pile of magazines and sift through them.
- Use hashtags on social media to find shots that speak to you.
While searching, keep your project in the front of your mind and look for images that resonate with your project concept, style, or desired impact.
Go beyond typical wildlife, nature, or conservation photography.
Explore design, architecture, fashion, and other realms that might spark creativity and critical thought around the images you want to create.
If you’re working on a story and looking for specific inspiration, this exercise can be done in a single sitting.
However, if you’re looking for inspiration for your photography in general or for an ongoing project, this might be an exercise you do continually, pulling images as you find them over time.
Remember, you’re not just pulling any images you think are pretty or interesting. Look for images that cause you to stop and pause for a reason.
You want to recognize a bit of yourself or your project in them, whether that’s a hint of your own style you want to polish, a technical level you aspire to reach, or an approach to creative storytelling you want to try.
These images should not only spark inspiration but also nudge you outside your comfort zone. Inspiration is something where you see a bit of familiarity while being pushed into new territory.
Step 3: Return to Your Inspiration Board Frequently
This last step might actually be the hardest. It’s easy to build something like this and never look at it again. Now, we’re going to build a routine.
If you’re working on a specific story with an end date, make it a routine to look at your board every morning.
If you’re working on an ongoing project where your enthusiasm is fading, make a routine of a weekly sit-down where you spend 30 minutes contemplating your inspiration board while enjoying a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.
Or, you might even make it a weekly session where you also add one or two more images to it.
Reflect on your inspiration board at least a couple of times a month. The goal is to avoid burnout or waning passion for your project.
Revisit, revisit, revisit those things that keep your creative fire stoked.
You want to be able to call up that inspiration board in your mind even when you’re out in the field with a camera in hand.
Keep a Can-Do Attitude
One final note: keep a can-do attitude. Inspiration boards are meant to be a creative spark. Don’t look at your inspiration board with an attitude of feeling less than or not equal to the photographers whose work you’ve pulled.
That just makes it a comparison board, which doesn’t help anyone.
When I look at my inspiration board, I’m not thinking, “Oh my gosh, I’m never going to be this good.” I’m thinking, “Wow, that’s such a good shot. I can create something like this too. See how she did this? How this angle is set up? How this light achieves that look? I’m going to try that next time.”
That inspiration flows, and the inspiration board has fulfilled its purpose.
Your attitude means everything to how effective an inspiration board can be in keeping your momentum going or rejuvenating your excitement and love for a project.
Now it’s your turn. Grab a glue stick, construction paper, scissors, and magazines, or whatever you need to create your inspiration board and get cracking. I encourage you to do this even if you’re not currently feeling any flagging enthusiasm.
An inspiration board can boost creativity and keep a fire stoked from the start of a project all the way through.
Don’t wait until it’s too late.
Just get going now.
It’s worth the time and energy to create it and routinely view everything you’ve curated.
