Creator and Director of Local Levo Maxie McCoy knows a thing or two about getting out of your own way to make a path toward your dreams. We can all learn a thing or two from Maxie's soul searching (and to that point, she'll be mentoring at #createcultivateCHI!), which is why we asked her to share her advice and adventures in just going for it. First read about her life (and career) changing trip to Bali, then read below for how she continued making room for inspiration once she returned home. —JM

Maxie McCoy on Cultivating Inspiration

(when you're feeling anything but inspired)

Who doesn’t love being struck by inspiration? You feel more creative. More excited. And filled with more energy when you’re find a little #inspo. Your business needs it. Your projects benefit from it. Your teams and your audience reap the outcomes of your inspiration.

But how can you benefit from inspiration when you’re feeling anything but inspired? For starters, by actively participating and by doing whatever it is you need to create space for the inspiration you so badly want.

Earlier this year, surrounded by the most beautiful energy in Bali, inspiration hit me everywhere. Living there was the greatest leap I had ever taken. My days were open to possibilities, my writing was flowing. I had so many ideas they couldn’t be contained. It was like living in a constant state of creativity. But within months of being back, my days filled with meetings. My nights filled with should and could-haves, and my weekends with wedding season functions. Suddenly my inspiration well felt dry. The ideas I had seemed lame. The motivation to create lagged. I was oh so uninspired.

Was it because I wasn’t in Bali?

Then at a moment of acute frustration, while I was questioning to a friend why I felt so different, so uninspired to work on the things I had been building for so long, she said the one word that clicked it all together: space.

Space is required to summon your inspiration. Space is necessary—physically and emotionally—to keep your ideas fresh and your energy clean. And it doesn’t have to come in the form of extreme measures. More often than not, the space for inspiration happens in the tiny moments and quick decisions throughout our everyday lives. Think about the following:

• How many afternoon or evenings do you keep for yourself? Not for partners. Or family. Or friends. Or work. But for you?
• How often do you let yourself do nothing?
• Do you choose nature and wide open skies to feel the possibility of space?
• Do you turn off your phone to read?
• How many times do you let your mind wander toward what you want, instead of what you should?

These are a few minor changes that can you make to start seeing a major creativity-boost. If you want to feel inspired, find a way to create space for inspiration. It can only happen when you take responsibility to creating the opportunity for it. Let yourself be inspired—it just might change your life.

Maxie McCoy is the energy designer of Maxie, where she shares soul wisdom on the digital video series #maxie and her weekly writings. If you want your spiritual and emotional IQ shooting to the stars, Maxie is the place to be.

Let Maxie be your guide to unlocking your brilliance by following along at maxiemccoy.com. Maxie offers soul sessions, workshops, one-on-one coaching, and words of wisdom you really shouldn't miss. And get tickets to #createcultivateCHI to land a seat a our Mentor Power Hour with Maxie.