There is no such thing as a new idea. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope.
— Mark Twain
Here at Gum on My Shoe we share new content every week. We published 73 posts last year. The year before it was 63. In 2023 it was 61. At the time of writing, we’ve published 828 posts since our blog started in 2013. Most of the content is written by me personally. That’s a lot of words to a tight, albeit self-imposed, schedule. If you’re wondering how I stay motivated and inspired, keep reading. Here are a dozen things that inspire me, with a few examples of each. Our blog focuses on mental health and supportive friendships but most of these ideas are relevant to other topics and themes.
1. Conversations
Many of my blog posts are inspired by conversations with Fran, other friends, colleagues, and even complete strangers. Sometimes it’s the conversation itself that inspires me but a single turn of phrase, question, or insight can be enough. I’ll often pause a conversation to jot an idea down so I can explore it later.
Teardrops and Waterfalls was inspired by something that came to me one day while talking with Fran. The analogy of standing beside a waterfall reminds us how to hold a safe space for others whilst also respecting our boundaries. When You Say Meds You Mean Vitamins, Right? was inspired by something Fran asked me on a video call while I was sitting at a bus stop. A conversation in the office (hi Sophie!) inspired First Munchie / Last Rolo. I enjoyed exploring the role chocolate has played in my friendships over the years!
It’s not always people I know well. A ten minute conversation with a stranger in a pub inspired three blog posts: One Must Imagine Marty and John Happy, Miserable Places, and An Instrument for Living. A recent conversation with a new friend (hi Allan!) led me to write Man to Man: Thoughts on Manhood and Mental Health Inspired by a Conversation at a Wedding.
2. Social Media, Quotations, and Song Lyrics
I spend a lot of time online. When I’m not chatting with friends, I’m likely to be on social media. It’s not at all unusual for me to find something posted by other people that inspires me to write. A good example is Every Grey Hair Is a Badge which was written in response to a set of life prompts posted by Holly Hatam. Note to Self: A Few Thoughts on Self-Care and Selfishness was inspired by a Twitter meme.
Song lyrics are a rich source of inspiration. Ed Sheeran's classic “Castle on the Hill” inspired I’m on My Way in which I explored aspects of my life, relationships, and connection to place. How to Be Kind and Clever was inspired by Taylor Swift’s song “Marjorie” from the Evermore album. Her song “All Too Well” inspired two blog posts: Why Little Things Are Big Things and Fond Remembrances and Sudden Hurt.
Waiting for the Kettle to Boil was inspired by a quotation by Pam Brown: “A friend knows when to talk things through, but, most of all, a friend knows when to keep absolutely quiet. And to put the kettle on.”
3. Other Creators and Performers
I love sharing creators and performers that interest me. It allows me to explore my relationship to their work as well as introducing them to a wider audience. Examples include Ten Content Creators Who Make Me Happy, Ten Creators I’d Love You to Follow, and Six Qualities and Twelve Men I Admire.
In 2023 I wrote about RØRY and AnnenMayKantereit (AMK), two bands which were living rent free in my head at the time. The death of Shane MacGowan in 2023 hit me harder than I imagined it would. I explored his life and work in The Last of the Irish Rover.
4. Photographs
I’ve written previously about how to choose the perfect image for your blog post. Occasionally, a photograph has provided the inspiration for a blog post rather than simply illustrating something I was already writing. The best example is Looking Out by Norwegian photographer Vidar Nordli-Mathisen. As I wrote in Looking Out: An Open Letter to My Best Friend, “The moment I saw it, I knew I wanted to share it with you and explore its relevance to our lives and friendship.” A photograph on Unsplash inspired How Are You, Really? Eight Things I’ve Learned About Suicidality and Self-Harm.
5. Things My Friends Are Going Through
Some of my greatest inspirations are the experiences my friends have lived through and live with. Exploring these helps me appreciate other people’s situations and how I can offer support that will be meaningful to them.
Examples include Seeing Red: A Look at Bipolar Anger; How to Support Your Friend When Their Symptoms Return; Self-Harm, Addiction, and Recovery; Stigma, Suicide, Self-Harm, and Hope written in collaboration with Aimee Wilson; and I Believe You. It wasn’t Your Fault. You Are not Alone. in which I talk about being there for a friend who’s survived rape or sexual abuse.
Being a supportive friend includes recognising there are times when your presence is neither needed nor wanted. Acknowledging this led me to write Supportive Disengagement: How to Be There for Your Friend When They Need Space. It’s one of our most frequently visited posts.
6. My Mental and Physical Health
For a long time I hesitated to write about my experiences with sadness or low mood, believing they weren’t serious enough compared to those that Fran and other friends live with. I’ve come to recognise that my mental health is important too. As a consequence, I’m more open about what I’m going through and the strategies I employ to help me navigate difficult times. Examples include THIS BOY GETS SAD TOO, Flatness and Disinclination, Nine Ways I Distract Myself When I’m Feeling Down, Exploring Alexithymia and Emotional Blindness, and Eight Ways to Help Your Introverted Friend Enjoy Your Event in which I describe my social anxiety.
Physical health is just as important. I described attending a prostate check-up in How International Men’s Day Inspired My First Doctor’s Appointment in 30 Years and How I Feel about Tomorrow’s Appointment with My Doctor. My first opticians appointment in many years inspired To See and Be Seen and I Can See Clearly. I described a recent health check-up in What Happens at an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening?
7. Things That Happen to Me
I’m inspired by random or seemingly insignificant things that happen to me. I wrote Breakdancing or Just Getting Old? after falling on my face on a night out with friends. When the Chips Are Down explores my frustration and disappointment on a day out at the coast. Note to self: double-check what time the chip shop opens before setting off on an adventure!
8. Things I’m Learning About Myself
Over the years I’ve explored various aspects of my life, beliefs, and identity. I wrote of my atheism in An Atheist Ponders His Mortality, the philosophy of Albert Camus in Encounters With the Absurd Man, my gender identity in Being a Man, and my relationship with age in A Few Thoughts On Turning Sixty-Four.
9. Awareness Days
Awareness days are a great source of inspiration, especially for topics I might otherwise not have thought to explore. Each year we mark Time to Talk Day in February, World Bipolar Day (March 30), Mental Health Awareness Week in May, World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10), and World Mental Health Day (October 10). I’ve collected many of these in A Curated List of Posts for Mental Health Awareness Days and Events.
10. Anniversaries
Three decades in the same employment inspired A Few Thoughts on My 30 Years Service.
Fran and I have been best friends since May 2011. I’ve marked each five year anniversary with an open letter. An Open Letter to My Bipolar Best Friend was followed in 2021 by It’s Not Boring! and most recently by The Magic Is Inside Us.
Since 2020, I’ve marked the closing of each year by sharing one photo and one blog post for each of the preceding twelve months. The most recent of these is 2025: My Year in Photos and Blog Posts.
11. Things That Interest Me
Most of the above have been related — loosely or otherwise — to mental health and supportive friendships. That’s not always the case. Now and again I get an idea to write something I’d struggle to justify publishing were it not for the fact that it’s our blog and I can post pretty much anything I choose! I flatter myself that our readers appreciate an occasional change of pace and direction. Examples include One Day at a Time in which I marked five decades of diary writing, a post exploring my fascination with disaster documentaries, We Are All Made of Stories in which I discuss my fiction writing, and From Thought to Page in which I recount my fascination with Teeline shorthand and other writing systems.
12. Guest Posts
It might seem like cheating to include guest bloggers in my list of inspiration ideas. It’s true that if someone contributes an article I don’t need to write something myself for that week. That said, guest posts don’t happen by accident! I often invite someone to write for us because their experience or expertise matches a particular topic or upcoming event. A recent example is Why Talking About Death Matters by Lisa Judson. Lisa is a celebrant and I thought of her immediately when exploring ideas for Dying Matters Awareness Week. My friend and fellow blogger Aimee Wilson contributed a Q&A post from her perspective as Project Lead for the pet bereavement project Gracie’s Way.
To see more great guest posts use the Topics option in the side bar or click here. If you fancy writing for us please read the guest guidelines on our contact page and get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!
Illustration by Fachri Ersan at Unsplash.
Comments
Post a Comment