What to Do When You Have NO Idea What to Post About

in #steemit7 years ago (edited)

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Hello Friends!

To be honest, I’ve been staring at my computer screen for a while and thought… “maybe this is what I should talk about today.” I’m sure I’m not the only one who has this problem from time to time!

I don’t plan out my posts too often, as I really like draw inspiration from the day. For example, If a song is really stuck in my head – then maybe I’ll do a music cover of it. Maybe there is a certain topic has been spinning around in my brain and I think other’s might find it helpful. OR maybe something happens that day (like my hardware wallet showing up in the mail) and I decided to do an unboxing video and talk about security.

Some days though… Nothing really seems to be grabbing me. What Then?

I should point out that there are lots of people who plan out their posts, and that strategy really works for them. Maybe they plan on Monday’s to do a post that is Crypto related, and Tuesday’s to post about fitness… or whatever it may be. I have tried this, and for me – I just feel more engaged with my own content when the inspiration is coming from the day. Both systems can work really well – this is just what I like to do.

It’s Okay to Take a Break


Consistency is touted as one of the main pillars of success on Steemit, and this is true, but taking a day off here or there can actually be healthy. If you are really not feeling like posting – then that is okay. Don’t beat yourself up, and don’t spend too much time worrying about it. Oftentimes, taking a break helps you to come back feeling even more charged and excited.

Stress is a creativity killer. If you are really pushing yourself to come up with something to post about, you will probably keep staring at a blank wall. If you just let go of the expectation that you need to post – who knows, maybe some great idea will come to you later in the day! I honestly think that people can feel your energy through a post as well – whether it is a video or written blog. If you are forcing yourself to do something, it probably won’t be very good.

Spend Some Time Learning


I love ingesting knowledge. I listen to a LOT of podcasts and am always trying to learn and get better at what I do. If I am feeling pretty dry on inspiration, it probably means that I need to plug back in to learning.

Maybe go listen to a couple podcasts, or sit down and read a book. Once you get your brain in the learning mindset, you might be surprised at how much it inspires you. It is my belief that it is difficult to create great content on a regular basis if you are not also learning on a regular basis. I think these two concepts go hand in hand. Would you want to see a doctor that hasn’t received any new training in 30 years, or would you rather see a doctor that is constantly staying up on current trends and medical developments? We aren’t doing brain surgery here people… but if you aren’t learning – your content will probably start to feel stale.

Read Through Other Articles On Steemit


When I’m feeling pretty low on energy or ideas to post about, I enjoy just hopping over to my feed and seeing what everyone else is up to! I am not in any way saying to steal someone’s idea, but sometimes it can be helpful to see what topics are really hot right now and what’s happening on the platform. Also, by engaging with other’s content, it takes your mind off the idea of posting, which as we discussed before – can help to release your creativity again. I personally think it feels really good to go through my feed and support my Steemit family by reading and commenting on their content.

Even if I still end up taking a break from posting that day – I still got to engage with the community and spend some time supporting others.

I hope that these tips help you in some way! If you find yourself staring a blank screen, It’s usually a good sign that you need to walk away for a while. By not putting on pressure on yourself to post, and plugging into learning or supporting others – You will probably find your groove again.

I’m curious… when you are lacking post inspiration – what do you do??

Xo, Lea




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Well said! I try to post at least once per day, but there are days it’s a struggle. Open mic on Sunday night is usually the only post I plan out

Haha same! That is my only “planned” post too. I think aiming for once a day is a great goal, but giving yourself grace when you’re having and “off day” is important too.

Thanks for listening my friend! 😊

Oh but when i don’t post something even just for 1 day, i feel so freaking guilty! Haha! I can’t deal with it! Haha

Hahah I get you girl! I really struggle with that sometimes too!

lol. You really shouldn't, most people are understanding. You have to step away every once in awhile. It's OK to be selfish from time to time ;) I choose not to post on weekends unless something interesting comes up that I would like to share.

Haha! I know, i can’t help it though.

ha ha ha, I feel like that too!

When I am looking for inspiration.... I watch @coruscate! .... off topic holy cow check her out: https://dsound.audio/#!/@melissakellie/20180301t130951844z-dsound-cover-a-thousand-years-sung-by-melissa-kellie

Wow, she has such a beautiful voice!! Thanks for sharing with me! I’m always love connecting with fellow musicians on here!

When I got nothing, I just produce a strange looking image and then ramble about nothing, humorously. That's always been part of my flow though, so people don't mind at all.

I don't plan my blog either. When I look back, sometimes I feel baffled. How in the hell did I manage to do all that?

Haha your comedic ramblings are part of your charm @nonameslefttouse! 😉 Pretty cool that you’ve carved out that space for yourself to just be creative and write.

Also, cool that you are more free form with your posts too! I think content usually feels more inspired that way. Besides, rules make me claustrophobic... haha

Rules, guidelines... I mean sure, I'll stop at a stop sign, but I stop there.

The freedom is nice. The door is wide open. If we pick one topic to blog/vlog about, such as trees, claustrophobia indeed; we close ourselves in. One can only say so many things about trees, then it's time to leave. People don't necessarily want to follow a tree either. They're following us, the blogger. That comes first. We can add that personalized touch to anything, including trees; then it's interesting.

By the way, I read the comments here. I saw that. I'd just like say, many of you ladies out there and yourself included are doing an excellent job. So keep it up! It's good to see, and that guy has no clue what the hell he's talking about.

Ugh THANK YOU. I’ve been getting more and more comments like that lately. It’s getting old.

Also great point about people following us as people/bloggers, not because we post about a specific topic. It’s a good shift in perspective.

I love that☺

I totally hear ya on the hit by inspiration except #openmic, and even then I have only managed two of them, because I am lame and don't play an instrument, so I have to ask hubs for help! (He is an amazing pianist!) I love that you always have something clever and creative to talk about! And your thumbnails are always on point! I am trying to improve, but I am still figuring out how I want them to look, or maybe they will always look different! Who knows!!?! This is a great bit of info if you are stuck on what to do though, and I do agree that ya just need a break sometimes!! :)

Well I guess Open Mic is a good excuse to jam out with your sweetie. 😉 I think it’s too bad that they recently changed the rules on open mic. I think there are plenty of great singers that don’t play an instrument!

Also thanks for your kind words on my post and cover photos! Some days I feel super inspired to do something a little crazy, and other days I’ve got nothing, so I just smile and add some text to the photo. 😜

I don’t think there’s any harm with playing around and finding what works for you! There’s definitely something to be said for switching things up to. If everything starts to look the same, then it can look like you are putting much effort in. You know to mean?

I think it’s a fine line between keeping a consistent looking brand and also keeping things fresh and interesting. Not sure with the right balance is, but I guess we all just keep learning and evolving as we go!

Yeah, I am not even sure about brand on here so much. I have tried to apply what I have learned on Facebook and YouTube, but Steemit is a whole different beast! Branding doesn't seem as important as interesting topic and catchy thumbnails, because once you have followers you are in their feed anyway, so the catchier your pics are, the better chance you have of attracting new followers!

Yeah I was pretty bummed when I saw that karaoke tracks weren't allowed! I have always been a singer alone, because I have done mainly stage acting, and ya don't need much above a basic plunking out your part knowledge of instruments to do musical theatre! But at least I conveniently have an accompanist for a husband, though I think he should just submit his own openmic of him playing, but he's too self conscious!

Oooh you were a theatre kid too!! Actually, I just dabbled in it a bit in high school - but musical theater were definitely some my best memories from that era.

I can definitely see how you would be brilliant on stage! You have so much charisma and depth of expression when you speak!

Good point about branding too. The “rules” do seem a little different here on Steemit then on other social media platforms.

Also, tell your hubby we want to see him play for open mic! He has one built in fan already!! 🙋‍♀️ He should check out @drewley’s page. He always has really beautiful piano entries for open mic. Maybe it will inspire him. 😊

I just wrote a post about this last week! There are TONS of places I go for inspiration: bookstore, magazine rack, my own life experiences, popular news websites, etc. I write down all the ideas that comes from these sources. That way, I always have a pool of topics to choose from when it comes time to write!

I just checked out your article and LOVED it! I like that you gave practical tips for places to find inspiration.

You seriously have such great content, cover photos and community engagement. It won’t be long before you are climbing the Steemit ranks my friend! ❤️

Thanks for the kind words, @coruscate!! I am glad you enjoyed the article! :D

Thanks for sharing. I love your first point the most, which is why I decided to take the weekends off, so both my voting power and myself and take a break.

Anyway, I've written a detailed post on how to generate over 365 post ideas. Would love to hear your opinion on it.

https://steemit.com/tutorial/@maverickfoo/how-to-generate-at-least-365-post-ideas-for-your-steemit-life-and-possibly-never-run-out-of-ideas-again

Woah, that is one hell of a quality post!! I’ll have to go back and read it in depth later, but there are a LOT of great points of inspiration in there. I’ll have to try out the website that generates questions on a topic. I can see how that would be incredibly helpful for content creation.

Thanks for sharing! 😊

Answerthepublic.com is totally helpful is identifying trending questions to write about. Plus, clicking on any of the questions will give you the Google results associated to that question, giving you a head start on your research!

My posts aren't the knowledge and attention grabbers like your impressive ones. I, at best, make people smirk, and at worst, make them wonder if steemit is a hell hole full of sex jokes depending on when you catch me.

The inspiration for (what I think of as) my more interesting stuff has come from other people. A picture, a gif, a story someone has told and I've decided that I can add more to it/reinterpret it another way build it into something they didn't see.

Though personally I'm waiting to see a dubbstep song from you on a ukulele. maybe with some dancing girls in back, sorry dancing men gyrating for no reason... (sorry back to the sex jokes thing, it's hard to get away from)

Hahah those visuals are too much. 😆 Maybe I can dance and play/sing dubstep at the same time? Sounds like a train wreck waiting to happen!

Ps... The comedy crowd here is pretty awesome. You could have picked worse spots to hangout on Steemit. 😉

I dunno about you but I thoroughly enjoy the imagery, I think it'll be lots of fun.

I do enjoy the crowd, lots of really good people.

I am the same way, sometimes I have no idea what I want to cook for my weekly cooking videos. I stare at all the recipes, and no of them stick out at me. For me, it helps to remove myself from it for a bit, and do something else for a time, before coming back to the task haha, usually works.

It’s funny how creativity and inspiration can work like that! It happens to me all the time too!

I’ll have to go check out your cooking videos now... I’m always looking for cooking inspiration. 😉

I know right? haha :) And then sometimes I get ideas for videos when I don't want them, like when trying to sleep at night...lol Have you seen the movie "The Greatest Showman"? "Every night I lie in bed, the brightest colors fill my head, a million dreams are keeping me awake." Yeah that sums it up sometimes for me, lol except it is a "million ideas" are keeping me awake. And then other times during the day...nothing! lol

Sounds like maybe you should keep a notepad on your nightstand so you can write down all of those late night ideas! 😉

LOL That is exactly what my brother told me to do...haha :) Great advice! :)

When I get stuck without content I've always found it useful to look at content of some of my fave peeps. I did FB Live show daily for a year and getting content could become a real struggle so inspiration came from other people's content, watching inspiring news stories or some weird moment of the day.

Great piece of advice! Looking at people you admire is a great way to feel inspired again. :-)

I kinda do a similar thing with music. Sometimes if I am running low on song ideas for covers, I look at some other cover artists on YouTube that I really like. I havefound a few artists that seem to have a similar style and vocal range to me, so it can be fun to see which songs they are covering right now.

Yepp! I think an important aspect to it comes to dealing with our expectations, since I would say that it isn't fair to demand from ourselves being able to produce solid content every day. 🙏🏼

As you say, we need breaks and being able to take in new sources as input in order to produce killer content on a consistent basis, easy to forget that at the times of downtime our creative flame often arise ✌🏼

Otherwise, if you happen to be into travelling, vlogs, fitness, self-development etc feel free to check out my channel, in any case keep up the good work and I'll see you around!🙌🏼

Great points @williamwest! There’s a reason that many people say their best ideas come to them in the shower. Because it is “downtime” for the mind!

Sometimes all u need to do is to step outside get some air and let your heart and mind rest for a while. You will catch up, the world will not stop spinning for you, you will catch up.
What amazes me is that you didn't knew what to post and you came up with such a great article. And your absolutely right to say that stress is a creativity killer. Do don't stress yourself and go through different articles of steemians around and have a chill.😉

GREAT tip about getting outdoors! Sometimes a little fresh air and a brisk walk is all you need.
Thanks for listening! 😊

I’ve actually had this problem as of late. I typically write lengthy articles and spend hours on them— lately I’m blank.
Because I’ve been so busy in my day to say life, I’ve been forced to take a break from Steemit which has helped rejuvenate and reenergize me.

Moral of the story. Taking breaks actually helps. You aren’t going to loose 20 followers a day. If you put out good quality content and your followers know this, they will stay.

Don’t let yourself put out mediocre content- just to get something out there...

Good luck everyone. Thanks @coruscate

Great points @theessenial! I hadn’t really thought about losing followers, but you’re right - most people respect the fact that you need to take a break from time to time, if they really like your content, they won’t be going anywhere. :-)

That’s why forging those relationships makes people remember you all the more.. especially when you’ve been gone for a min or two!
thanks for your reply!

@coruscate Nice post. I had that problem once. I have now created a list of things I want to post about. Sometimes an idea strikes and I add on to the list. The list keeps growing. Steem on :) Best wishes, - @splendorhub

Great idea!! I try to keep a list as well . My only problem is that sometimes I come back to an idea and I don’t feel excited about it anymore. That’s kind of why I’ve gone a little more freestyle. 😊

Glad it is working so well for you though! Steem on!

You have to write something and you’re staring at that big blank space on your screen that’s whiter than the state of Oregon, praying it will reach out and take brilliant and beautiful information from your brain and wear it like a big, cozy and clever robe. But, it just glares back at you with the same dull, empty expression you’d expect from the old turtle at the zoo as it wakes up from a nap.

I have often found that when I take a break from playing guitar I get better by not playing. Maybe too much time overthinking things. I feel like the same applies here.

Like you said learning also helps to inspire creativity and inspiration. I also like to listen to Tim Hecker's music and just meditate.

This idea totally works for music - great comparison! Sometimes taking a break is the best way to feel refreshed. 👍🏻

I can totally relate to what you are saying. When I used to post on YouTube I made myself post everyday and it totally killed my vibe. Now that i'm starting over here on D.Tube I am only going to post when it feels right to. Forcing creativity is a killer and makes for half assed work. Keep killing Lea, always excited to see new content from you. Best, Nick.

I bet it’s nice to have a fresh start! Good for you to move with the flow of inspiration instead of fight against it.

Ps... sorry that I havnt sent you the mp3 and bio yet! I’ts been a crazy week/will be a crazy weekend and so I’m not 100% sure when I’ll get it sent over. It’s definitely still on my radar though... don’t worry! 😉

Haha, no worries. Whenever you get the chance is fine! Wish you luck through the craziness coming up :)

Ideas can run dry especially for people who post daily. You are right that we should learn from others and take a break if there is a need. I am now posting an article every 5 days. During this time, I take my time to think of what my next post will be and also I spend time curating my upvoters and followers articles to see any good articles to upvote. I happen to see your comment on one of my upvoters article and I decided to visit your blog. Really nice write-up even when you said you had nothing much to write about!

Thanks so much for sharing your perspective @fun2learn! It’s cool to hear your process for content creation. Thinking ahead and starting to plan is a great approach that I know a lot of people find helpful!

This same thing happened to me yesterday, so i didn't sweat it out. I left the post and started reading other people's content and comment on those I can relate with.

Like you said, giving yourself time to reflects on people's post can help boost inspiration. thanks for writing about this, now i know am ain't alone

You are definitely not alone! Awesome to hear that reading others posts and engaging on that level has helped inspire you as well!

I usually try and focus on reading and commenting others' posts. If a post idea doesn't come, it doesn't come.

Great approach! Awesome that you don’t hold that stress or pressure over yourself. I’m not always the best at doing that, but it’s something I really work on. 😊

Yeah inspired post are always awesome! 3 Great tips!

#onelovedtube

Upvoted

My key is to look towards some of your back comments before making an article,because I think you know what happens some time you write a beautiful and informative comments on someone blogs that has potential to create a blog out of it.
Though I only wrote only one blog and that's introductory,but I did go through my previous comment so that I could write effectively.

That is a great idea! I have had the same thing happen before. Sometimes when I realize I have a lot to say on a topic because of the comments I am leaving, it is usually a good sign that it could be a good blog post too. 😉

I’m glad to see you’re finally made your introductory post @iamanwaar! What are you thinking about posting next?

Hi @coruscate,

I'm a Steemit baby and happened upon your post in the trending post list.

Since I'm not sure how often I will be posting, it was good to hear that it's ok to post, and that we shouldn't just post to post. I've tried to adhere to that same philosophy on Facebook, so it makes sense to me here as well.

Right now, I am simply enjoying reading other people's posts, upvoting, commenting and resteeming. :-)

Take care!

Welcome to Steemit!! Sounds like you are picking up some great habits early on, which will really help you out! Posting just for the sake of posting usually doesn’t yield very good content, it’s definitely better to be happy with the content you were putting out. Starting out by commenting on others post is a great starting point as well! Keep up the great work and community engagement!

This is excellent, i use to face this circumstances sometimes and i must say, you re very right. And i do just exactly as you explained and its been helping me very well. Nice post

i am the opposite i have to much stuff to think about, mind is always wondering

Well at least it sounds like you’re never bored! :-)

This is a true inspiration! You're right, stress is a creativity killer. Sometimes the ideas came very spontaneous and that is the best quality. I always ended up creating a mess whenever I tried to push myself so hard to think. Yes, it's okay to take a break and having fun curating the others.

Nicely said.. As most people become desperate in posting.. And post almost jiberish.. One should take time in learning as well, as u rightly said.. Because a good post can be worthwhile for some..

Well said. Thanks for watching my vlog and contributing to the conversation!

Your suggestions look simple but very useful! Thank you ~

Thank you! I’m glad you found them helpful. :-)

Well its a good thing to keep your time busy in things you love, as it kills stress and one learns things day by day, I like your motive and this post is motivational, keep sharing such posts, thankyou

Absolutely brilliant, awesome, Wow you said it all. Bravo

You're a female dont really have to do much on dtube aha :P but its good we need more females in crypto ps you do make good content not just because your a female but so does @crypto-decoded and he gets no love aha i love his videos

Yeah I’m sure the fact that I’ve spent seven months of my life pouring hours everyday into creating content and getting to know people on the platform has nothing to do with it.

It must just be because I have tits.

i typed bad if you read it i said ps you do make good content

I can tell that you didn’t mean to be offensive... but saying I “must not have to do much” to get votes is exactly why the feminist movement exists.

but things like that will just happen regardless It's just a way of life but not to say guys also dont get advantages if i showed up to a heavy labour job and you did i would have a better chance at the job because im a male even if you're better at the job and better qualified and its never going to change because males and females are built with different traits and it's not necessarily that you have boobs its just females are more charismatic and alot more friendly looking then a male

softer voices aswell easier to listen to

bit high so kinda dont make sense

That a post this empty and meaningless made $100 dollars is one of the main reasons I think steemit will fail.

Anyone who has trouble thinking of something to think or write about in this world is so lost in it that I don't even know where to start to try to help them. Especially if AT THE MOMENT THEY KNOW THEY HAVE NOTHING TO SAY, THEY STILL FEEL LIKE RAMBLING AND BEGGING FOR ATTENTION

So basically I wonder if you are even real, my annoyance even seeing a post like this is so great.

Read my blog, compare the significance and importance of the things I write about to this post of yours, rethink your life, then come back after a few months or a year and start actually contributing something rather than polluting like most people.

This is my advice. If you flag this I'll mute you forever like I do most of the accounts I encounter here. The number of people capable of independent thought and comprehending what I write, so far, I can count on my fingers.

I’m sorry that you didn’t find any value in my post @mindhawk. The beauty of the Steem block chain is that we are all free to vote and engage with content that we personally find meaningful. If my content is not your cup of tea - then no hard feelings.

The value of an object or someones opinion is whatever they want to put value on it. For one person that does not want anything to do with an item the item holds no value. And yet someone else sees that same item and to them it is priceless. Thank you for sharing your ideas. Please do not let the likes of these people bring you down. You are liked by many, which is why this post has so many votes on it and it has such high rewards and engagement

Aww thanks for your kind words. I really appreciate that. I’m not used to getting “hate comments” on my posts, so this was surprising - but I guess it was bound to happen at some point. Thanks for chiming in and offering your encouragement! ❤️

I am giving you a vote because this bothersome troll (who has been trolling me too) hates your work.
I'm glad to see that you are a MUCH better person than he is and have handled it so gracefully.

Wow, thank you so much for the encouragement @canadian-coconut! I’m sorry to hear that you have been dealing with this guy too. He is obviously just trying to pick fights and troll others content, which is why I refuse to stoop to his level and engage in that way.

Thanks for coming in like the bad-ass that you are and showing this guy that his behavior is not appreciated here on Steemit!

No, your entire post is itself a digression. You admit you have nothing to say and then write things like 'learning is gud', it's banal, inane, meaningless, attention-seeking garbage and people gave you 100 dollars for it because you're a girl maybe or some other reason. I encourage you to even consider for a moment anything I have written and you refuse to.

So you are self-absorbed, closed-mined, and empty-headed. And when asked to stand up for yourself you are like 'so it's not your cup of tea' which is itself an evasion.

Are you a joke? Are you real? I am honestly wondering how people like you even exist. Please tell me how you feel good about yourself if this is what you wake up to write about? It's not even worthy of people magazine, usa today even covers SOME aspect of what is going on in the world. There are people suffering, a world war about to break out, children disappearing, rich people squashing poor people under their thumb, a thousand mysteries, and THIS is what you brought to the table?

Just stop whatever it is you are doing, because you are making the world a worse place with your vain navel gazing vapidness.

Just stop writing. If you were a trumpet player who played only the same note for twenty minutes bothering everybody and then took a bow, I would say the same thing to that person. Who are the people upvoting this crap? I wonder even more if they are real, windchimes have more meaningful things to say than this garbage.

So just stop. Please stop writing, we don't need your "work."

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What to comment when you haven't read the bolg?
This
lol

I'm reading from your blog for the very first time, and I like the impression you have created in me already
first impression they say, always last longer
Except you are not a steemian, that's the only time one would not be faced with the issue of what to lost. Learning about the way out as you have suggested is a real deal. Thank you so much for the tips.

Good post!
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