Everything you've ever seen, read, watched, or scrolled past was built on something that came before it. Art builds on art, content builds on content, creativity is just remixing, and the sooner you accept that, the easier this whole thing gets.
What nobody tells you is a blank screen isn't a problem of creativity. It's a problem of knowing where to look.
The internet is more fragmented than it's ever been. We know this. Audiences are scattered across niche communities, algorithms are hyper-personalised, and trends move so fast that by the time you've noticed one, it's already freaking done.
Sounds stressful, right? But actually, this is a gift. Because it means there's an absolute abundance of content to draw inspiration from. Everywhere. All the time. You just need to know how to use it.
My biggest piece of advice is to scroll with purpose, not on autopilot.
We all know how easy it is to fall into the scroll hole and come up for air 45 minutes later with nothing to show for it, and a few less braincells. Instead, scroll intentionally. Look at what's performing well - not just in your niche, but everywhere. The data doesn't lie. High-performing content is basically a roadmap of what works. Study it.
Look outside your bubble.
If you're only drawing inspiration from within your niche, you're limiting yourself. The most interesting ideas come from unexpected places. A fashion creator borrowing a format from foodie TikTok, or a foodie stealing a storytelling structure from a podcast. Cross-pollination between communities is where the freshest, most interesting content is born.
Use AI as a brainstorming partner (not a ghostwriter).
AI tools are genuinely useful for breaking through creative blocks. Use them for throwing out ideas, suggesting angles, helping you see a topic from a different direction. But the moment you let it write for you, your content loses its soul. Use it to spark ideas and then make them yours.
Mine your own comments and DMs.
Your audience is literally handing you content ideas and most people ignore them. Questions people ask you, reactions people have to your posts, debates happening in your comments. All of that is literally gold. Pay attention.
Here's where the magic happens. And no, this does NOT mean copy-pasting someone else's idea - that's lazy and painfully obvious. It means dissecting what works and making it yours.
See a format that's crushing it? Don't copy it. Understand WHY it works - is it the hook? The structure? The tone? The pacing? THEN take those elements and mix them with your own voice, your own perspective, your own world.
The result is content that feels familiar enough to resonate but fresh enough to stand out. It's not stealing. It's how creativity actually works.
Inspiration isn't some elusive muse that only visits at 3am - it's everywhere, all the time, if you know how to look for it.
You now have access to more content, more tools, and more communities than ever before, so you have absolutely no excuse to run out of ideas. You just need to stop waiting for originality and start getting comfortable with remix.
So go on. Scroll with purpose. Remix with confidence. Create with flair. Your audience - and the algorithm - are waiting.
