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Ask HN: Where do you go for inspiration?

7 points by meisterbrendan ↗ HN
How do you stay motivated and inspired to work on your side projects? I have some stuff I'm working on, but haven't cracked the nut on making consistent progress yet.

I keep thinking of that Antoine de Saint-Exupery (dude who wrote The Little Prince) quote "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” I'm trying to keep loving "the immensity of the sea" in my side projects, but finding it difficult. What works for you?

6 comments

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rukshn
i have the same problem
ibudiallo
For inspiration I go for an one hour break with my co worker and we talk about our side projects. You will be surprised how motivated you can get, when you share your thoughts with someone who has the same goals
aaronbrethorst
Scratch an itch. Build something that solves a problem you have. In theory, you should work on it until you've solved your problem. By that point, hopefully, it'll be useful enough for others to use as well. Let other people in, get feedback, receive an endorphin rush, and the cycle continues!

My successful side projects have always been things that solve my problems first and foremost. They've also just happened to solve problems that a reasonable number of other people have too.

logn
I think this is why we have so many cliches in this area since it's a universal problem.

"well-rounded", "informed citizen", "having a life", "attitude adjustment", "stopping to smell the roses"

Inspiration comes from life. I read blogs, news, and have real life experiences. Maybe your life involves working out, listening to music, fine dining, politics, environmentalism, drinking, traveling, farming... Then combine that with a desire to improve the condition of humanity. We are motivated by deeper, more timeless issues than say setting up a server to do X task.

Staying on track with side project work means making space for it also, and being comfortable with the technology you're using (use what you enjoy).

orangethirty
Inspiration is bullshit. You just sit down and do the work. No excuses. I used to wait unt inspiration came by. It never did and I wasted lots of time. What you have to do is realize that people who get shit done are just disciplined. Build your discipline and your projects will work out like magic.

I but my discipline by forcing myself to sit down for an hour a day to code. No ifs bits or anything. Sit down and code. Did it work? It worked like magic.

abdophoto
I don't really go anywhere specific for inspiration, but I am inspired by nature. Living in southern California has some really nice benefits and when I go to the beach or go for a walk or hike, I find myself reflecting and being inspired by the things I see.