The MOO creatives’ (hot) tips to get inspired

Finding your muse can be a challenge, sometimes. If you’re tired, in low spirits, or burnt out, inspiration might not be your brain’s first priority, and it’s easy to think you’ve drained it all. Good news: there’s no hard limit to the weird and wonderful things your mind can produce. When inspiration slips away, a few tricks can help you find your lost mojo and remember what you love about creating.

Get inspired with the MOO creatives’ favourite ways to find inspiration.

Stop and smell the roses

If you’re stressed or down, finding inspiration can be a struggle, and you might end up in a vicious circle of guilt and frustration. Taking a break could be the best way to get your creativity and ideas back and running. 

Take it from Chelsea, Graphic Designer at MOO Design Services: “if you’re feeling a bit of a creative block, accept it and come back with fresh eyes another time. Nothing great is ever achieved when you try to force it, and the second time around, you may even notice things that your tired eyes didn’t the first time!”

Cultivate serendipity

Staying inspired is all about noticing the little things and collecting ideas to feed your imagination. Whether it’s by scrolling through social media, watching a film, or meeting new people, there are sources of inspiration all around you. For Michela, Graphic Designer at MOO Design Services, collecting exciting visuals is an integral part of her creative process. “I’m always saving designs which give me that warm and excited feeling to a folder as I’m scrolling through Instagram – digital, print, ceramics, you name it! Whenever I feel stuck, I go back and look through those designs that excited me before, and it usually jumpstarts my creativity.”

The good news about serendipity is that you can cultivate it both inside and outside the comfort of your home. Millie, our Head of Design, likes to find inspiration in movies: “graphics in films are now huge and I love spotting all the creative work in them, from printed pieces to signage!”. Perfect for introverts. 

Every person that walks by probably has an amazing story to tell and learn from

If you’re ready to face the great outdoors, James, our Associate Creative Director, is always amazed by the new ideas that can spark from a random encounter. “Start conversations. It’s advice that I’ve not always followed in the past, but every person that walks by probably has an amazing story to tell and learn from.”

Get out (and about)

If you’re wondering how to get inspired, leaving the house can do wonders. It’s a suspiciously simple tip, but an incredibly effective one. Think of it as opening the windows to your brain and letting it breathe. You probably do it for your home – why not keep your mind to the same standard?

For Millie, taking the time to go for a stroll is a game-changer. “Go for a walk and take a different route – it is great for feeling refreshed and inspired.” It’s also a great opportunity to draw inspiration from your environment. Phil, Senior Designer at MOO, gets inspired by looking around on his walks: “getting out and about is always inspiring. I tend to take photos of things I’ve seen whilst walking around the streets of London; found type, interesting window displays, fun packaging – those types of things. I don’t often come back to them, but it’s nice to document.”

Learn from the masters

Sometimes it’s good to go back to the basics – and remember what inspired you to create in the first place. Museums, galleries, but also libraries and other cultural institutions are a great stop to feed your creative mind. Like in science, we didn’t start creating “from scratch” – our work is influenced by hundreds of years of culture and socialisation. It’s worth taking a peek!

Both based in London, Millie and Phil find visiting a gallery a great way to stay inspired. For Phil, galleries never fail to end a creative block: “I always want to create something after a visit to a gallery. The Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy is always full of so much amazing work it’s impossible to leave uninspired. The Design Museum and the Tate Modern are also my exhibition go-tos.” Millie, on the other hand, likes to find inspiration in more unexpected places: “Now [galleries] have opened up again, there are so many great exhibitions on. I often find visiting more unusual places like the Natural History Museum even more inspiring.”

Surprise your brain (and let it surprise you)

An uninspired brain is often a bored one. Stimulating it with exciting new things can be a good way to reset your creativity – especially if you’re wondering how to get inspired. For James, change helps you exercise your creative muscles. “Do something completely different to what you usually do. Draw with the wrong hand, try a new instrument, use a new tool. It’s good to jolt your brain out of autopilot from time to time.”

Chelsea lets her brain surprise her – and with her Journal, she’s always ready. “Use a journal to jot down ideas on the go when you catch inspiration. I always find I have the greatest ideas on the tube, in a park – once I’m away from my screen. If I don’t write them down straight away, I always forget them!”

Step off the track

James’ advice? Stay off the beaten track. “Look for inspiration in different places. Everyone else is following the same Pinterest boards, being influenced by the same designers and reading the same articles (including this one). The quickest way to be noticed is to do the opposite.” While it’s important to keep in touch with what’s trending in your industry, homogeneity can be a threat to your creativity. 

Vary your content diet to stay inspired and make your work stand out. That’s how Chelsea finds inspiration as a graphic designer: “don’t limit your research and inspiration to just graphic or print design. Some of the best colour palettes I’ve made in the past have come from nature, natural fabrics and food!”

Stay inspired and bring your ideas to life with our cleverly designed Notebooks and Journals.