Cultivating Inspiration: How to never run out of ideas again

There’s nothing more frustrating than finally sitting down with a free hour to create—only to stare at a blank page or canvas with absolutely no idea what to do. Inspiration has a way of disappearing just when we need it most.

Over the years, I’ve learned that the trick isn’t waiting for inspiration to magically arrive. It’s building a resource you can turn to—a personal “well of inspiration” that you can draw from anytime. Once you do this, you’ll never truly face the blank canvas again. In fact, your bigger problem might be having too many ideas standing in line!

A quote that stayed with me

When I was a teenager, I went to a Matisse exhibition in Copenhagen. On the wall was a line from him that said something like: “The most important paintings are those I carry in my mind’s eye.”

That sentence has stayed with me my whole life. It reminded me that being an artist isn’t just about the paintings you finish—it’s also about the inspiration you carry inside. That inner well of ideas can matter just as much as the work itself.

Why build an inspiration resource?

If you don’t already have some kind of system for gathering inspiration, it’s easy to end up stuck when you finally find time to create. But if you start collecting sparks as you go—whether that’s notes, images, quotes, or doodles—you’ll always have something to pull out when you need it.

For me, this collection is messy. My sparks are scattered across sketchbooks, folders, Pinterest boards, Spotify playlists, and Post-it notes stuck everywhere. (Seriously, I’ve been a Post-it note girl for years.) But messy or not, it works.

And here’s the best part: you don’t have to make your collection beautiful or organized, unless that makes you happy. The only thing that matters is that you’re building something that feels lighthearted and useful for you.

“Girl with a Blackbird”, dry pastel and mixed media by Ida Andersen Lang 2025

What to put in your well of inspiration

Your inspiration resource can be anything that lights a spark for you. Here are a few of my favorites:

Images — Photographs you take yourself, postcards from museums, or even screenshots saved from the internet. I´ve taken photos since I was just a kid, and learned early on to develop photographs in a darkroom (yes, that was a thing, once), so photography has always been a deep well of inspiration for me.

Colors — Collect color schemes that excite you. Make swatches in watercolor or colored pencil, or cut strips of color from magazines and arrange them in different moods. Once, a teacher made me spend an entire week just mixing and arranging colors—and it was mind-expanding!

Quotes — A single sentence can carry you for decades. That Matisse quote has stayed with me since I was 17, and I still think about it often.

Doodles — Quick little sketches, nothing fancy. Five seconds is enough. Add a note if you like. These aren’t meant to be masterpieces; they’re reminders.

Mind maps — Take a blank page, write a word in the middle, and let your ideas branch out. Later you can circle what feels alive. I’ve been doing this since high school, and it’s still one of the best ways I know to spark ideas.

Music — Sometimes I hear a song and think, “I wish I could paint like this.” Bob Dylan’s surreal lyrics, Lana Del Rey’s haunting voice—they’ve both inspired me. Music can bring images and moods you can carry into your art.

There are so many more possibilities: other artists, symbols, shapes, poems, even random notes you jot down. Anything that lights something in you belongs in your collection.

When energy is low

One of my favorite ways to use my inspiration resource is on the days when I’m too tired to actually paint. Instead of scrolling aimlessly on my phone, I’ll pull out my folder and flip through. Sometimes I rearrange things, sometimes I add one little piece. Even if I don’t make art that day, I still feel connected to my creativity. And that is never wasted time.

Closing thoughts

Cultivating inspiration is about making sure you’re never starting from zero. It’s about remembering what lights you up, keeping it close, and letting it grow with you over time.

And here’s the wonderful thing: once you start building your own well of inspiration, it multiplies. You’ll never run out. You’ll simply have more ideas than you can possibly use in a lifetime—and that is a very beautiful place to be.

• What inspires you? Let me know in the comments below.

Creative blessings on your day!

Ida