There’s one thing I can always turn to when stuck for ideas: music.

It’s not so much the songs themselves, either. It’s what I associate them with. Past experiences, phases, places. People, to a certain degree. So when I’m creatively lost, I listen to something.

The effect of music on the brain in general is also fascinating. Take a look at Wikipedia’s article “Music and the Brain” to see how the brain functions while listening to music, then head over to “The Mozart Effect,” which analyzes the potential for music to improve cognitive abilities.

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Image: kevindooley

Step right up, one and all! Whether you’re looking for inspiration, ideas, or just something to laugh at, these websites will spark your creativity and set you on a path toward fortune and glory (disclaimer: fortune and glory not guaranteed).

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Last night’s rain is over, and now the sun is shining and the air is so wet you can hardly breathe. The thermostat just turned ninety. On this spring day that feels like summer, I think now is the perfect time to visit an old friend: Ray Bradbury.

But we won’t stay long — there’s too much to do, and I can’t stay cooped up in here all day. We’ll ask him about his lists and then get moving. Deal?

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You know, we could sit here and talk about writing all day, but there’s one thing many writers have a severe problem with: motivation. The act of just sitting down and writing.

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Creativity and imagination are very fickle. One moment they’re right with you, screaming ideas so loud you can hardly type, the next…well, nothing. Absolutely nothing. Here are five things you can do to rescue your creativity from the clutches of galactic evil. Or at least the mundane.

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