Don't Wait for Inspiration

We love to romanticize creativity.

Like it’s some mystical force that floats down only when the vibe is right, your candle’s lit, and Mercury isn’t in retrograde.

Spoiler: that’s not how it works.

You don’t “wait” for inspiration — you train for it.

For me, that means showing up at the keyboard from 9 to 10am every weekday like it’s a standing date with my creative self. No incense. No ocean sounds. Just me and the blinking cursor.

Sometimes it’s a journal entry. Sometimes it’s a few lines of a kid’s book. Occasionally, it’s a rant about how my barista spelled my name “Ugo.” (Never happens at my joint Café Calida down the street in Chicago. They get me. They’re perfect.)

Most of what I write never sees daylight. That’s the point. It’s not about content. It’s about conditioning.

I’m keeping the muscle warm, so when the big idea shows up, my brain doesn’t pull a hamstring. Yes, I feed my creativity with curiosity, play, and wonder. But it’s the routine that keeps me sharp — the reps that keep things from going stale.

This habit has taught me two things:

Waiting for inspiration is a trap.
Done is better than perfect.

If you only create when you feel like it, you’ll be at the mercy of moods, meetings, and mediocre motivation hacks. But if you build the habit? You can channel lightning on a Tuesday at 9:06pm — no special tricks or productivity app required.

So yeah — treat your creativity like leg day.

You won’t always want to do it. You won’t always love the reps. But you’ll be damn glad you did when it’s time to lift heavy.