“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” – Louis L’Amour
Since I started writing daily, my current routine is to crack my computer open at dawn to write a draft article before I step out for my daily walks. Just a couple of sentences at dawn then I flesh it out, edit and publish it later after my walk. The writing part of that is easy, it’s the part where I ideate on the topic to write on that has been quite tricky because there are so many ideas that one can have, right?
Writing as a craft extends beyond putting words on a page. When done right, it involves capturing the essence of life itself—its beauty, its complexity, its contradictions. All of it. The best writers are keen observers of the world around them, transforming everyday experiences into compelling narratives. They find inspiration in the most unlikely places: a conversation overheard at a restaurant, the rhythm of a bustling city, or even a quiet moment of solitude.
But how do you train yourself to see the world this way? How do you turn the chaos of life into coherent, meaningful prose? For me, it starts with an openness to experience, a willingness to be curious about the world, and an understanding that inspiration is not something I can just find; it’s something I have to cultivate.
The easiest way I found to help me find inspiration for topics to write about is by:
Sharpening my mind to notice things.
One of the greatest skills a writer can develop is the art of noticing. Noticing the weather, noticing emotions, noticing body language. It’s more than seeing. it’s also about truly observing the world around you. It’s noticing the way the light filters through the trees in the morning, the cadence of a stranger’s voice, the unspoken tension in a room. It’s being attuned to the subtle details that most people overlook.
That’s why I love to read Chimamanda’s works. Her writings are filled with vivid descriptions that bring her subjects to life. She has a knack for capturing the nuances of human behaviour, the small gestures that reveal so much about a person’s inner world. Her writing highlights the power of paying attention, of being present in the moment.
I dabbled in painting as a creative outlet during my previous pregnancy and one of the things I learnt was how different pressures on a brush interpret on a canvas. The more pressure you apply on a brush, the deeper the intensity of the colours that will be transferred to the canvas. Writing is not so different. For a writer, the world is a canvas, and every detail is a brushstroke. The more you notice, the richer your writing becomes.
When I began writing years ago, I started by carrying a notebook with me everywhere. I jotted down observations, snippets of conversation, fleeting thoughts. I did not worry about whether the things I was writing were “useful” or not. I just collected them. Over time, I found that these fragments started to coalesce into ideas, stories, and themes that I could use when I write.
Another way to find inspiration is to be open to be:
Open to the unexpected
Something I’ve noticed with writing is that the inspiration to write can strike when you least expect it. When you let your mind wander, when you’re not actively trying to create something, that’s when a fascinating idea could come to you. That’s why it’s so important to give yourself space to breathe, to be curious, to explore. An additional benefit of my daily morning and evening walks has been a clear head full of ideas. If you can’t take walks like me, listen to music you’ve never heard before. Read books outside your usual genres. Travel to places that challenge your perspective. Just do something that doesn’t require you to think about what you’re doing.
Don’t get tired of me talking about my lessons from Chimamanda Adichie, but she has talked about drawing inspiration from her experiences straddling two cultures: Nigeria and the United States. Her novels and essays explore themes of identity, displacement, and belonging in these cultures. She finds inspiration not just in her personal experiences, but in the stories of others—the people she meets, the histories she uncovers, the voices she hears.
Adichie’s writing is a reminder to me that inspiration for my next piece is everywhere if I can open myself to it. So, if you’re looking to find inspiration for your next writing project, look in the familiar and the foreign, the mundane and the extraordinary. The important thing is to embrace the unexpected, to allow yourself to be surprised by the world.
So, we’ve found inspiration, what comes next?
Excitingly, finding inspiration is just the beginning. The real challenge is transforming these experiences into something meaningful. This is where the skill of a writer comes into play. The skill I’m working to develop through this 90-day challenge. This is when we take the raw material of life that we’ve noticed and been inspired by earlier, and shape it into narratives about a wide range of disciplines that resonates with others.
In my writing, I let the elements of my daily life influence the things I write about. Why? Because that’s what I know. I can only write from the familiar. Even if I used to experiment with writing fictional pieces, I would begin with the familiar, and then weave fragments of my imagination into it.
Even now, I often talk about how walking influences my writing, and how the discipline and rhythm of my footsteps on the gravel out in the streets help me find the mental space to create. My writings are deeply grounded in the texture of my everyday life, showing that inspiration doesn’t have to come from dramatic events. It can come from the repetition of routine, the quiet persistence of daily habits. My writing, even as I am still improving, is a reminder that the extraordinary often emerges from the ordinary, that the most amazing stories are rooted in the mundane details of our lives.
That leaves us with what’s important; finding your own path as a writer.
Every writer has their own unique way of finding inspiration. For some, it may be seeking out new experiences, and immersing themselves in different cultures and perspectives. For others, it may be introspection, mining their own memories and emotions for material. The important thing is to find what works for you, to create a process that allows you to capture the richness of your own life.
The best way that works for me is to develop and continuously invest in a writing habit. As I mentioned earlier, I set aside time every day to write, even if it’s just a few minutes at a time. I use this time to reflect on my day, to explore my thoughts, to play with ideas. I have found that the more I write, the more I find that inspiration is not a fleeting moment of brilliance, but a steady stream that flows from the depths of my experience.
So, go on and find your source(s) of writing inspiration.
The world is full of stories waiting to be told. Every person you meet, every place you go, every experience you have is a potential source of inspiration. The challenge is to be open to it, to see the world with fresh eyes, and to find the beauty and meaning in even the smallest moments.
As a writer, my job is not just to describe the world, but to interpret it, to make sense of it. I’m more than a reporter of facts, I’m a creator of meaning. I take the raw material of life and turn it into something that moves people, that makes them see the world in a new way. You can do the same too.
So, go out and live. Be curious, be open, be present. Revel in the unexpected, notice the minute details, and let the world be your muse. Because the best writing doesn’t come from sitting in front of a blank page, waiting for inspiration to strike. It comes from living fully, from experiencing the world deeply, and from finding the courage to turn those experiences into art.
Do you have any questions about creating content and writing? Leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram!
