Luckily for you, you live in the most beautiful country in the world. South Africa is home to diversity, amazing cultures, beautiful people and some of the most breathtaking views out there. For a writer, entrepreneur, designer, musician, artist or pretty much any person who needs inspiration for their job, here are a few ways to find what you need to spark innovation.
If you’re experiencing some kind of innovative block, then one of the best things you can do is something completely different. Something you’ve maybe never done before but it’s been on your mind for a while.
Maybe it's abseiling from Table Mountain, bungee jumping off Bloukrans, having a wildcat experience in Oudtshoorn, riding an ostrich, or quad biking in the dunes in Atlantis sand dunes. Absolutely anything that will get you outside, your heart pumping a little bit and providing you with a new experience for you to draw inspiration from.
If this means you first need to buy a new car (another thrilling activity) then do it Find your perfect car online and go on a trip to collect it. If you’re a Capetonian that has found their dream used car in Gauteng, grab some friends to make the trip with you and explore the City of Gold before driving back home.
Okay, back on track, you have your car and it’s back to the everyday routine. Get in your car and take a drive over your lunch break. You don’t necessarily need to know where you’re going, but by driving you open up your mind to being able to generate new ideas.
This helps on many levels. When you come across something inspirational in a moment where you aren't able to immediately expand on it, have a notebook on hand and jot it down. You should also use this notebook to write down distracting thoughts that keep you from focussing on your work and for anything else you’d like to write about.
Where the inspiration is found, is in the pages of the past where you can go back to ideas you’ve had that maybe couldn’t work then but are able to work now. For entrepreneurs, bringing ideas into the market is all about timing, so you shouldn’t discard ideas that don’t work at that moment.
Nothing hectic or you’ll tire yourself out for any innovation to follow. But doing light exercise outside and being surrounded by this beautiful country is a great way to zone out from the working world and focus on the limitless potential.
Go for a short hike through Kirstenbosch Gardens, cycle along the Seapoint Promenade, do a yoga class on Clifton Beach or go climbing in the mountains. Find some adventure and fun in light exercise around the city and you’re bound to see sights, smell scents and meet people that will inspire you to create something that expresses and complements the world around you.
If you’re wondering how inspiration is found in failure, it’s found in the lesson and process of improvement that follows. You’re going to make mistakes and fail at times, but it’s important to make the most of that failure and not let it stop you from innovating further.
Analyse the path you took and listen to the feedback from superiors or clients. Make sure you’re designing around their needs and not your own. Then it’s back to the drawing board and trying again, but this time with new insight, inspiration and motivation to make it better.
Yes, the future is creeping upon us and everyone is working to innovate the technology around it, but there is value and inspiration in scrolling through the history books. And if reading volumes of books aren’t your thing, then stroll through history in South Africa’s museums. There are lessons to learn and products to create around things that were used in history but have maybe not been modified for the modern world. Or there are stories and comparisons waiting to be written and discussed.
Another place to find inspiration is in your work environment. Not the one that you’re in five days a week, seven hours a day. But the makeshift stations that provide a fresh view, a different atmosphere and new opportunities for inspiration to creep in.
Find a coffee shop along the beach, in a garden, by the mountains or along a popular street and take in the different characters wandering around, the smell of nature and the sounds of the city. If you don’t have the flexibility to work remotely, then do yourself a favor and wander around the office. Or you could even change your desk perspective. Move your chair around and face a different corner of the room, or sit outside the office if the area accommodates it.
Break the routine a little bit and your mind will be more open to exploring new ideas.
All experiences from everyday life are filled with potential inspiration. You just need to know how to look for it and appreciate it.