FINDING INSPIRATION

Recently I've been suffering from writer's block when trying to create content for my blog. I'm definitely not one of those people that can churn posts out on a daily basis. I went through a phase, last November, where I was writing posts every day. It's hard to maintain that routine, especially when you begin to put extra pressure on yourself to be like the more professional bloggers. I've compiled a list of things that I've been doing to help me feel inspired and I wanted to share it with you. I hope it helps you too!

1. Step away from your laptop and go outside

This might seem really obvious but the best way to feel inspired is to ignore your laptop and actually go outside and soak up the vitamin D. It's not often that an amazing idea will come into my head when I'm moping at home. You don't even need much money to go exploring: luckily, I live in London so I can jump on the tube and visit exhibitions, galleries or have a drink by the Embankment.

Exploring the city you live in, going out for lunch or simply going for a walk can make for an amazing blog post. Remember to take your phone and snap some pretty pictures and you're good to go. A perfect example is Rosie from The Londoner. Her lifestyle posts are brilliantly written, with gorgeous shots and you always feel like you're there with her on these adventures.

Ideas for things to do -

• Go that restaurant you've been eyeing up for so long - remember to take shots of your food before you eat it all!
• Get that book you've been meaning to read and sit in the sun with an ice cream. You'll be finished with the book in no time, and you can write a review for your next post.
• Is there an exhibition near where you live? Go see it! At the moment, the Hayward Gallery in the Southbank Centre is hosting Martin Creed's exhibition, and I'm dying to go. Look up your local area and find out what kind of things are going on near you for blog ideas. 

2) Listen to music

I hate blogging in complete silence, I usually need music in the background to keep me going. Some songs can invoke different feelings in me (my favourite song is Fleetwood Mac's Dreams but I only listen to that when I'm feeling a bit down). Lately, I've been listening to songs that remind me of Summer. I'm so excited for Summer! I can't wait to have a tan, wear sandals and go on holiday. Listening to music can make blogging so much easier; when I have music on in the background I really get into the flow of what I'm writing.

People I'm loving - 

• Banks (how gorgeous is she?!)
• London Grammar
• Bombay Bicycle Club (their latest album is amazing!)
• Asgeir 
• Fleetwood Mac (there will never be a top music list of mine without featuring them)

Banks

3) Look at other blogs

Taking inspiration from other content creators is a great way to think of new post ideas. When I'm fresh out of ideas I look at my favourite blogs, which you can find on my Blogroll page. Some of my favourites are Lily Pebbles, Vivianna Does Makeup and essiebutton. Looking through their posts always gives me inspiration for my own blog.

Bloglovin' is the best way to keep updated with blogs you like. I used to follow hundreds of blogs because I'd follow anyone who sent me their link in Twitter chats. This is the worst thing to do! I think a lot of people, including myself, worry too much about the amount of followers they have. Followers do not equate to readers. Follow the blogs you genuinely like, not the ones whose creator is bombarding you with their link. Obviously, there's nothing wrong with following people this way. I'm sure you can find a lot of great blogs via Twitter. However, I was bogged down with hundreds of posts every time I went on Bloglovin' to the point I stopped used it. I then had a spring clean and stopped following blogs I had no interest in. It didn't mean they were bad, some of them were amazing, but I just felt like I couldn't take anything from them. If you feel like looking at Bloglovin' is a bit of a chore, I'd recommend having a look at which blogs you're following, ask yourself whether you really enjoy the content, and if you're not you should stop following it. There's soooooo many blogs out there that you'd love...find those!

Some of my favourite posts - 

• She Wears Burgundy - Falling in Love with Yourself
• Lily Pebbles - My Shoe Collection (technically a video but it's a great video!) 
• Vivianna Does Makeup - The Cookie Monster (how amazing do these cookies look?!) 
• The Londoner - The Monkey Temple (I love monkeys so this post made me smile)

4) Work with what you've got 

You don't have to spend money to write a good post on beauty or fashion. You probably have a drawer full of make-up and a wardrobe full of clothes. Put on your favourite outfit and take some photos for an OOTD post or write about your favourite lipstick/blush/foundation. It's so easy to grab something you use every single day and make a post out of it.

I'm guilty of buying beauty products I've spotted on other blogs, and I usually spend too much money on them. It's so easy to look at what a professional blogger is using and think you need that in your life too. I want that from SpaceNK, that from Mac and this from Chanel. I often need to stop and remind myself that I don't have that sort of income, and I'm actually glad I don't. When I finally purchase my first Mac lipstick or Nars blush, I'll know I've worked hard to pay for it. In the meantime, I'm going to write about my Natural Collection blush or Revlon lipstick. They're cheap but they ain't bad!

Post ideas -

• Skincare routine - I love seeing what products people use on a daily basis.
• Outfit of the day - You can always chose different occasions: what you'd wear on a date night, an interview or a night in with the girls. 
• Your favourite make-up look - You don't need to be a professional when it comes to applying make-up. I love seeing every day looks whether it's a minimal, fresh look or a smoky eye and red lipstick kind of look. 

I hope this post helps you in some way! Let me know how you get inspired in the comments. 

love, Cally