Before the days of Pinterest and before we had the internet to show us all the pretty things people are creating, we had to find our inspiration somewhere, right?

It’s easy to lose sight of our own creativity when we’re constantly online looking at what other people are working on, so today I’m sharing 5 ways to find inspiration offline.

1. Work With Other Creative People

Whether you collaborate with another creative business or work with a group in a creative workspace, working with others around not only keeps you accountable, it also helps get ideas flowing. Having other people to share your ideas and dreams with, being inspired by projects that other people are working on and working together on fun new projects in an offline setting will definitely inspire you to keep creating and brainstorming new ideas.

2. Visit Places That Inspire You

Take a minute to think about the places that inspire you the most. Whether it’s in the woods hiking through the white pines, working in your favorite coffee shop a big city or browsing through the racks of your favorite clothing store – the feeling you get when you’re in an inspiring place is unmatched by any other. When you’re feeling like you’re lacking inspiration, visit these places and take notes on how they inspire you. You may come away with your newest big idea.

Go the extra mile: Try to unpack why these places inspire you so much and try to incorporate those things into your daily routine? Is it a distinct scent? Is it the sounds you hear? Bring those into your daily tasks.

3. Take a Class or Attend a Workshop

While taking classes online is fun, taking a live class or doing a workshop opens the door for instant conversation, inspiration and feedback. It can be a drawing course at your favorite art museum, a cooking class at your favorite restaurant or a creative workshop at your favorite store – in-person classes will leave you inspired and ready to create, and you’ll walk away with some new ideas and new friends.

4. Surround Yourself with Your Favorite Things

Where do you do your best work? Maybe it’s when you’re drinking coffee out of your favorite mug with your favorite candle burning, maybe it’s when you’re wearing a certain article of clothing or maybe you get inspired by working in an organized office. The little things you enjoy can feed your inspiration and get you in the right frame of mind to create something amazing,

5. Create a Playlist

While it’s not necessarily offline, an inspiration playlist is a great way to get motivated when you just can’t seem to get inspired. Load it up with your favorite upbeat songs and put it on when you’re ready to get some work done.

Need some ideas? I’ve created a Spotify playlist with songs that inspired and me to keep my head up and creating – check it out here:

OR here is the link to it: http://open.spotify.com/user/123731366/playlist/6PHUi8Q6TiAVnobLTlNfkB

When you find your inspiration offline and away from where everyone else posts their ideas, you’re more likely to come up with something totally different than what everyone else is doing, and you’ll feel better about your project because you dreamt it up all on your own.

Do you have a place, course or song that instantly inspires you? Or do you have other tips for coming up with creative ideas? Share your ideas and inspiration in the comments!