Inspiration is like a disease whose symptoms are the words “I don’t feel like it right now.”

What can you do when you need a boost of creative inspiration and it just isn’t coming?

Work anyway.

That’s not the most inspiring (har har har) advice you’ve gotten today, I’m sure but working regardless of how you feel has some serious benefits.

1. You’ll have something to show. It might suck, but it’s a start.

You don’t feel like writing content today, but do it anyway. Sure, it won’t read like Chaucer, but editing a piece of crap into something usable is better than not having anything to show at all for your time.

Learning to write well also means wading through a lot of uninspired shit. Better get started on that learning curve now. Sure, it’ll be hard at first but if you think running a business online is supposed to be easy let’s just burst that bubble right now.

2. Inspiration gets in the habit of showing up regularly.

The more regular your work schedule, the more you’ll start to notice that your creative juices start flowing at just the right time every day.

Somerset Maugham’s inspiration showed up at 9AM every morning because he showed up at 9AM every morning. The more you call on it, the more it will show up.

Think of your mind like a economy – supply is governed by demand. For the same reason your body feels more energetic when you exercise, you’ll start to feel more inspired the more you work. The supply will begin to equal the demand you put on it.

3. It’s what a professional does.

Amateurs have hobbies they work on when they feel like it. Professionals have jobs. These jobs pay them money. These jobs are serious and shouldn’t be treated as anything less than what they are.

You’d show up to a salaried job every day, why would you give your online business any less than that kind of dedication?

Sure, you’re the boss now but you wouldn’t accept that kind of amateur behavior from an employee, why accept that from yourself?

Professionals get to work. Every day. Because it’s what they do for a living.

Not for fun.

Not for pleasure.

For a living.

For eating, bathing and having a place to sleep.

Are you willing to leave all of those things to the whim of inspiration?

Me neither.

What can you and I do about it?

Get to work.

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