Follow these 10 people on social media to spark your idea generation
Great ideas are born out of a solid preparation phase, some incubation time — and a lot of inspiration. Just as in the song from Chicago, “I can’t do it alone”, a helping hand in a shape of a creative injection has never done any harm. So here are 10 people who will bring you the inspiration you need.
Oh, I’m sorry. I am not going to give you 10 NAMES, since what you and I are creating at the moment is immensely different and we couldn’t possibly get inspired by same individuals (ok, sure — to some extend, but you get my point). So I am going to give you 10 different types of people/accounts to follow on social media who can spark your idea generation.
1. Someone who is doing really well in your industry
Let’s warm up gently, shall we? This is an obvious choice — you must follow those who succeeded in your niche before you. In order to skip reinventing the wheel, your task is to learn what worked for them and model the heck out of it. Call them your role models or your mentors, regardless if they are aware of it or not.
2. Someone ultra successful in another industry
The benefit of looking outside of your own niche is that it gives you new perspectives that you could (sometimes much easier than you think) apply to your own pain points. A lot of industries are struggling with similar things and following people who have come up with great solutions for their problems might help you find the same for yours.
3. The world leader
There is nothing as inspiring as great leadership. Follow people who are known for making bold decisions and handling complex questions. Watch their interviews, read their books (most of them have written at least one book) and try to pick their brain. But also, follow them on social media to see the human side of them. After all, they are also just people who work in their gardens and go for a run. If they can be masterminds, co can you.
4. The athlete
Believe it or not — not for their body. For their determination and discipline. Because they do the work even if they don’t feel motivated. And because they push themselves to the limit. There is nothing but hard work when generating ideas, despite the romantic theories of Eureka moments. Often times you need to adapt a mindset of an athlete to get the work done.
5. Someone with a very beautiful feed that speaks to you
Surrounding yourself with great aesthetics that speaks to you (which is a highly individual thing — I bet that you and I have a completely different idea on what a beautiful feed is) will make you more creative. If you can find something that you can relate to, feel a part of, you will embrace that look and start creating something similar for yourself. Steal like an artist and make that look yours.
So far, so good. Let’s level this up, shall we?
6. The fine art photographer
With a smartphone in your pocket, you — and everyone else — are photographers. However, there will always be a difference between all the enthusiasts trying to get the correct light and the full blown professional. Find the most amazing photographer you know of and let yourself be inspired by the focus on details, the choice of composition, the colors, the motif… Don’t overthink, just consume their work. Sooner or later it will come back to you during an idea generation process.
Hint: a professional photographer will most likely use a different angle, one that amateurs wouldn’t think of. Being around that mindset will come handy to you whenever your brain processes information about your idea and needs to ask itself if there can be a more interesting angle to what you are creating.
7. Someone who is really good with words
An author, a poet, a theatre actor — whatever gets your idea generation juices flowing. You become like the people you spend the most time with (LIVE or online, or even just watching), so in order to level up your linguistics, make sure to surround yourself with good quality language.
8. The eccentric one
Even if you are a minimalist, like me, you need some eccentrics in your life, if so on an arm’s length (in your phone). Those unapologetic brave people who not only dare to stand out, but crave it. You should follow them because they don’t strive for medium and neither should you. Even if you are a fan of the “less is more” strategy, an occasional injection of “more is more” will do wonders for your creative mind.
9. Someone who tickles your curiosity
This is a person who balances between intriguing and slightly repulsing, but still you can’t stop revisiting their feed. The provocative artist (of whatever niche), who keeps you wondering how on earth did he come up with that idea. In my opinion this is one of the most important people for you to follow. He who has the power to draw you back into his world over and over again is your ultimate teacher.
Most likely you are not in the same field of business. Your task is to figure out what exactly is so interesting in their work and try to model it to your niche. How interesting and magnetizing do you need to become to have your clients come back for more?
10. Someone who is just out there
This is a person who simply makes you feel good. The one you tell your friends and colleagues about on a coffee break. A comic. A YouTuber with silly, easy digestible content that just wakes up your brain. In his TED talk, Steven Johnson says that a lot of ideas are born by the coffee machine, so why not have something fun to talk about that just might kick off that conversation that leads to your next big invention?
Tell me if you agree with me, and who your 10 people are. Drop me a comment or… find me on social. Who knows, we might just become each other’s inspiration.
