Many of us have learned to maximize our outputs. We pride ourselves on how much we can produce, how many projects we have, and how productive we are. What some of us don’t acknowledge until we are forced to do so is how important inputs are. If we don’t refresh our energy, ideas, and inspiration with outside inputs, eventually we will lose our effectiveness, at the minimum. Or worse, we lose our health (speaking from experience here).
Inputs provide creative ideas, inspiration to take our work further or expand our scope, and emotional satisfaction, and may give us a bigger future to work towards.
3 ways to give ourselves more inputs?
Expose yourself to different experiences. Only listen to rock and roll? Try bluegrass, classical, or African shamanic. Read fiction from other countries. Join a hiking or kayaking club. Think of things you haven’t tried, but might be curious about.
Deliberately look for and read industry publications from one different than yours. See if a method they use in that industry might offer some ideas for yours.
Follow The Artist’s Way author, Julia Cameron’s recommendation, and take yourself on an ‘Artist’s Date’ once a week. The rules are simple. You have to go or be by yourself, and it must take at least one hour. Examples might be as diverse as whale-watching, visiting a museum or bookstore, or listening to a different music genre.
By consciously ensuring you have plenty of inputs into your life, you will likely be more productive than before. You will be more creative, more inspired, and certainly more prolific.