Hallo, my loves! I’d like to apologize for my long hiatus from blogging. I really don’t have an excuse. I just wasn’t inspired or motivated to take photos and come up with creative posts for all of you to read and enjoy. This creative slump of mine lasted for months–it hit me in April and continued throughout the summer, well into the tail end of August.

I was constantly unhappy and insecure about what I was putting out for the world to see. Every photo had to be carefully scrutinized and put through a rigorous editing process that was very time-consuming. Every caption had to be absolutely perfect, with the paragraphs lined out properly, with no spelling errors. On top of that pressure to be perfect, I felt as if I had run out of my creative juices, and I just couldn’t possibly squeeze out another post. (What would this post be without a pun by yours truly? Hah.) I was under quite a bit of stress and distress because I felt like bookstagram was feeding on me like wildfire, consuming and burning me out with brand rep posts and sponsored book reviews and the like. I realized that most of my posts were structured around sponsored posts, and that I was doing most of it out of duty and obligation rather than pure love for my own content. This led me to doubt myself and my own abilities. I was always thinking about how I could improve my content, but suddenly, there I was, standing on a plateau with no upward climb in sight, face-to-face with an intimidating wall of black obsidian blocking me out from continuing forward. It was all psychological, of course.

Luckily, this perspective recently shifted into something much more positive. I slowly got back into posting on fragilemyths, even if it were only for two or three times a week (as opposed to none whatsoever). And now, I’m happy to say that I’m back on the bookstagram grind, posting daily like I used to! Even better, I’m back to posting here, in my true creative space.

So how did that happen?

It took me a while to figure it out, but the answer is simple. I moved. I moved away from the comfort and familiarity of home, and into a college dorm.

Now, you’re probably thinking, Zelle! Stop being ridiculous. I can’t move just for the sake regaining inspiration! And you would be right, of course. But you see, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a big move like mine. Any change of scenery would help. The important thing is that you gain exposure to something new, whether that means moving to a different city or simply changing one aspect of your daily routine.

And so, without further ado, I’ve compiled a list of things you should consider as an alternative to moving, should you ever run low on inspiration!

1. Reorganize your bookshelves. Have you been eyeing the way Lara (bookishsolace; you should all be following this wonderfully sarcastic and sassy friend of mine, by the way) turns all her books around, so that the pages, not the spines, are facing outward toward you? Or perhaps you love Fi’s (readsleepfangirl; my friend and fellow Slytherin) collection of “rainbow books.” So what are you waiting for? DO IT. REARRANGE YOUR BOOKSHELF THE WAY YOU WANT IT. Change it up! See the gorgeous photos below, to get an idea of what I’m referring to.
   

   @bookishsolace

   

   @readsleepfangirl
2. Take a walk around your neighborhood. Or your own backyard. Or in Dublin. It doesn’t matter, just move away from your comfortable bed and approach the outside world. Take note of what you see and feel– a falling leaf, the wind running its course through your hair, the smell of pine– take it all in.
3. Browse Pinterest. Create a new board of photos and scenes you like! Take others’ ideas and use it as a starting place to build your own.
4. Exercise. I’m serious. It changes you. Exercising allows your brain to release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that’s responsible for all the happy feelings we feel. And who wouldn’t want to be happy?
5. Listen to music you normally wouldn’t listen to. I recently started listening to more underground Korean rap and R&B, especially the playlists by danielions.
6. Make time for the important people in your life. Haven’t talked to your mum for a while? Visit her, or make a phone call. She’ll be delighted to hear from you. Or, schedule a time to grab lunch and chat with a good friend you haven’t seen for months.
7. Move furniture around and redecorate your walls. You’d be surprised at how refreshing it feels.
8. Take time off to focus on yourself for once. Instead of worrying about others’ opinions of you and your school/work performance, sit down and reevaluate how you want to be perceived and how you could improve on your soft skills. And then, treat yourself!
9. Visit a museum. Go to an art museum, science museum, or a natural history museum–take your pick! It’s an easy way to learn something new on a day you don’t have any other plans. Many museums offer youth and student discounts too, so be sure to take your student ID with you!
10. Take a class in something that you’re interested in, but never had the chance to learn before. Ceramics, zumba, flower arranging, philosophy– the possibilities are endless! You might just find a new passion. I’m currently taking a German language course, and I could not be more excited about it! I think it would be cool if I could converse with my German followers and friends (there are a lot of you!) in German. And hey, if you have any tips and tricks for learning German, or languages in general, please send them my way!

Thank you all for reading this and sticking with me. Be sure to tell me about some of the things you do to stay inspired because I’d love to know. And do let me know if any of the activities included in this list helped you move out of your creative slump!