How to Stay Creative in a World of Turmoil

Feeling blocked? You’re not alone.

The world is a scary place. Every day, one more bad thing gets added to the news cycle. With how crazy things get, one can start to lose motivation. Creativity can die. That’s why, in a world of turmoil, inspiration is key to staying creative.

But how? When you look at the news or social media, there’s so much negativity. The human loss in Ukraine and Gaza. The civil wars in Sudan and Myanmar. Gang violence plaguing Haiti and Ecuador. The anxiety and trepidation that paved the chaotic and unpredictable road to the 2024 presidential election. Then you have the symbolic Doomsday Clock that moved closer to midnight. Eighty-nine seconds–the closest it’s ever been. And every good deed or attempt at one seems suspiciously insignificant in this uphill battle against the powers threatening to undo every single one.

I wouldn’t blame you if you turned on the news and saw a world in chaos or thought we were involuntary participants in a tug o’ war against a world adamant on unravelling itself. It’s tiring. Exhausting. Sometimes, it feels futile. For those directly experiencing turmoil, or know someone who is, the tax is that much greater. It becomes difficult to cope, stay positive, innovate, adapt, and overcome the circumstances that forced us to in the first place. The burnout is real. That is why inspiration is so important.

To elaborate further, in an article from the Department of Psychology by the College of William and Mary, co-authored by Victoria C. Oleynick, Todd M. Thrash, Michael C. LeFew, Emil G. Moldovan, and Paul D. Kieffaber, it states “Inspiration is a motivational state that compels individuals to bring ideas into fruition.” The article examines challenges regarding the topic of creative inspiration. It concludes with creators that inspiration is a key motivator of creativity. “Inspiration has the power to effect change not just for individuals, but also for societies. Technological advancements, cures for diseases, and solutions to environmental problems first emerge as promising ideas. It is difficult to overstate the importance of figuring out why, how, and for whom creative ideas to societal problems fire the soul and inspire the idea actualization process.”

Inspiration is the gasoline that fuels your creative engine. Amid burnout, inspiration can be found in many ways: dedicating time to work on art or written pieces, attending events in a creative community, or signing up for an organization where people lend support and build each other up. Even exercise is not only good for the body, but for the creative mind. Creativity starts with inspiration, which can be found all around you in physical culture such as people, architecture, nature, technology, media, food, or non-physical culture such as religion, behaviors, history, language, or philosophy. Cultural trends and innovations fuel inspiration and generate creativity. 

Still from Bo Burnham’s Inside.

In a world of turmoil, this is especially true. The COVID-19 pandemic is the most recent and consequential example of this. We remember the isolation, the uncertainty, the eerie quiet. When the world shut down and millions of people were losing their lives, what did we do? We adapted. We overcame. Jobs and classes became remote to accommodate non-essential workers and students who were under lockdown. The entertainment world realized new ways to keep producing and sharing content. Artists and musicians live-streamed concerts and exhibited visual art through online virtual programming such as the Metropolitan Museum’s augmented reality roaming. Then you have the eventual developments of vaccines and safety measures like social distancing and masking up. Many found creative inspiration in the chaos of the pandemic with quarantine-inspired art like mask-wearing portraits and Bo Burnham’s Inside, a documentary about a man’s mental struggle as a commentary on the isolation and social suffocation the pandemic had inflicted on us. It was through creativity that we were able to get through this, and it was through inspiration that we had the motivation and vision to do it.

This effect is still apparent and carries with us today. From petitioners, voters, protesters, influencers, and especially artists spreading the word and raising awareness on current events and issues. And it has made itself known on multiple stages, from the Super Bowl to streets and neighborhoods around the world. One of the most notable is the unceasing protests among Arab communities calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip–a ceasefire that would eventually come to fruition. Many artists in Gaza have harnessed their frustration and protests while ancient landmarks and historical sites are razed, and they convey it through drawings and writings as a form of protest–whether the canvas be an empty bag of flour that was used for aid or empty crates that once carried food. They use art to depict their pain and tiredness, as well as their defiance and hope.

Inspiration is vision. Motivation. It is the fire of creativity. To keep pushing, sharing, teaching. Creativity is the most powerful aspect of the mind that inspires. Moves. Changes. When harnessed effectively, it reflects intelligence and garners understanding. It’s in the things that make you, mold you, impress you and you make of them what you will, because you see something no one else does. You plan to share that vision, so others can see it too. Inspiration still burns. So long as the fire burns, creativity will be alive and well for the foreseeable future.