Inspiration truly is everywhere—if you pay attention to what’s right in front of you and allow your mind to wander, make connections, and generate ideas.

Here’s my not-so-short-list of unexpected places for freelance writers to find inspiration, in no particular order.

  1. an actual phone book
  2. back of a cereal (or any) box
  3. cookbooks
  4. the conversations of others (planes, trains, buses, subways)
  5. pets
  6. kids
  7. neighbors
  8. art gallery
  9. coloring book
  10. old letters
  11. scrapbooks
  12. photographs
  13. abandoned houses
  14. clouds
  15. library
  16. book store
  17. different angles (lying down, upside down, etc.)
  18. podcasts
  19. funerals
  20. weddings
  21. fortune cookies
  22. a sport you’re unfamiliar with
  23. sermons
  24. manifestos
  25. newspaper archives
  26. box of crayons
  27. toy store
  28. stuffed animal collection
  29. treasure chest/memory box
  30. nature trails
  31. collectibles (old business cards, for example)
  32. antique stores, flea markets, swap meets & auctions
  33. horse farms
  34. documentaries
  35. old vacation slides
  36. hospital and nursing homes
  37. checkers
  38. fabric and yarn
  39. craft and hobby stores
  40. water
  41. swimming pools
  42. family reunions
  43. old files (tax forms, warranties, etc.)
  44. the human body (ever study the back of your hand?)
  45. haiku
  46. paint store
  47. sunrise/sunset
  48. chopping veggies
  49. making tea
  50. hanging out at a coffee shop
  51. reading a textbook
  52. writing, cooking or eating left-handed if you’re right-handed or right-handed if you’re left-handed
  53. talking to a stranger
  54. reminiscing
  55. window shopping
  56. walking backwards
  57. talking to a kindergartener
  58. watching two people talk through sign language
  59. sitting on the porch doing nothing
  60. picnics
  61. typewriters
  62. postcards
  63. the classroom
  64. classic movies
  65. classic cars
  66. festivals and fairs
  67. gardens, topiaries and bonsai trees
  68. historical accounts
  69. museums
  70. physical activity, sports or exercise
  71. exhibits
  72. trade shows
  73. chance encounters
  74. amusement parks
  75. music (listening or creating)
  76. quotations
  77. human interest stories
  78. volunteering
  79. theater
  80. starlit sky
  81. swipe file
  82. home & garden stores
  83. maps and itineraries
  84. garage sales
  85. the news
  86. controversy
  87. celebrity train wreck of the moment
  88. grandma’s advice
  89. business books
  90. chat with a friend
  91. re-reading a favorite book
  92. poetry
  93. prayer or meditation
  94. deep breathing
  95. jokes & pranks
  96. puppy bellies & kitten noses
  97. success stories & triumphs
  98. produce stands & farmers markets
  99. manual labor
  100. white boarding & mind mapping
  101. handwriting a letter
  102. random acts of kindness
  103. blowing bubbles
  104. quiet & solitude

P.S. Why 104? Because I fat-fingered the keyboard when typing the number “10” and thought, “Heck, why not 104?”

Why not, indeed.