How To Stay Inspired in Today’s World as a Black Creative
Not Feeling Inspired? Time to Change That!
As a Black person living on this planet, the world constantly feels like it’s on fire and it’s so easy to get caught up in the constant barrage of negativity, especially if you are an “endless doom scroller”.
We are constantly being told what our place in society is and how it will take a meteor slamming into Earth for our reality to change. You really don’t have to look far to see examples of “our place” in American society.
For example, what comes up when you see the word “minority?” It sets a tone and already has some of us see ourselves as “minor” compared to others even though we are technically the global majority. If you’ve been conditioned to see yourself and your contributions to society as minor, then it will be an uphill battle to change that image. And yes, we are aware that it is meant to describe Black population numbers in society vs. others (we aren’t stupid) but one can argue that the very word itself can set us up for a lifetime of feeling less than.
One of our goals at The Future in Black™ is to invite the Black community, specifically the Black creative community, into space to generate a different experience in this world. One that has you as the designer of your own future. An experience where you are in full control of your life’s destiny.
This isn’t about toxic positivity and acting like there aren’t real issues in this world. No one benefits from being naive or faking positivity when all you want to do is hide under the covers.
One way to combat this way of thinking is to imagine a world full of possibility. This is one way for us to set ourselves up to win instead of allowing this world to roll over us and dictate our past, present, and especially our future existences.
We’re here to say enough is enough. No more asking for permission to be let through doors or to sit at tables. We are building our own tables and bringing chairs because in the words of the great poet Snoop Dogg, “it ain’t no fun if the homies can’t have none.”
Let’s learn to explore a world where we create our own futures.
In this article, we want to explore the first step in achieving such a lofty goal: INSPIRATION. You have to become inspired to change your future. So our question is simple, yet layered: how do you become and stay inspired?
We want your life to be as easy as possible so we are going to list a few ways you can find inspiration and stay energized.
Use Art and Museums to Stay Inspired
One of our favorite ways to stay inspired as a creative is to attend art exhibitions or visit local museums. You don’t have to just go to a local museum. You can also travel to see art and if you have the means we definitely suggest flying to see art but let’s take this one step at a time.
Walking around and really taking in the art, trying to figure out the artist’s process, and looking at the materials can all aid in your inspiration journey.
It’s even inspiring just to walk the halls of a museum and spend the day researching an artist and their background. Some of our favorite museums are listed below:
Nature Can Provide Great Inspiration
Another great way to stay inspired is to get out of the house, go outside and take a walk.
The world can be incredibly inspiring once you look up at a tree. Yes, we said lookup (like put down your phone and go explore nature).
It’s highly recommended. It can ground you and reconnect you to this world.
Ask yourself, have you really studied a flower? If not, you are in for a real treat. :)
If you’re in the New York area, check out these beautiful places to grab some inspiration. If not, just going outside works too!
Why is Community Important for Inspiration?
Life can be extremely challenging if you decide to go at it alone.
We strongly suggest surrounding yourself with a community of creatives so you all can grow together and support each other in good and bad times.
Being creative can present some challenges to understanding for those that aren’t in tune with their creative sides. That can be incredibly frustrating, so we recommend you dive deep into creating connections with those interested in the type of magic you create.
Can You Use Classes for Inspiration?
You most certainly can!
Classes can easily be overlooked when going down the inspiration path.
Deciding to sign up for a class can move you closer to the inspiration goal post. Classes tend to stir up a part of yourself that might not be used every day. Your brain (just kidding, not really).
But for real, signing up for the right class in this moment can challenge you in ways beyond your current awareness.
Classes can provide you with endless amounts of inspiration and they also allow you to incorporate critical thinking skills, which can take your inspiration to the next level. Check out some of our fav places to learn and grab some inspo!
Designing your future or even believing that you have the power to do so can take some time. We didn’t want to inundate you with a 10,000-word essay explaining all the steps to get there but trust us, slowly but surely you will get there.
We wanted to start with some easy, budget-friendly ways to start stirring your imagination. In the coming articles, we’ll discuss ways to actualize your dreams, incorporate future technologies such as Web 3 and the Metaverse into your business offerings, and guide you in ways to “design your future”.
This is just the beginning so follow us for more articles coming real soon.
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