1. The Early Morning Walk

Studies have found that walking improves creativity, and I can attest to that. As often as I can, I wake up early and walk for two hours starting at 7am on Saturday mornings before everyone is out. Where do I go? It doesn’t matter, that’s never the objective. It’s an extremely peaceful, quiet time that allows my mind to wander into new creative territories without any distractions or worries about my to-do list. Given the amount of content overload we face every day, it’s such a simple way to decompress and uncover fresh thinking that can get buried in the 9-5 hustle.

2. Traveling

My design inspiration comes from numerous online resources, but it’s even better to experience different cultures. When I travel, I always go somewhere new so that I can log everything in my memory and on the blog, curating my own personal library of imagery and thoughts.

Each trip has stimulating elements like original color palettes, music, architecture and history.There are numerous ways to interpret my travels into the creative work I do. For example, I recently took a short trip to Portland, Maine where I unexpectedly discovered beautiful typographic treatments on the buildings – which influenced mood boards that I developed for a project.

3. iPhone Notes

The greatest of ideas sometimes arrive at the strangest of times, and if I don’t capture them quickly, they might get lost in the mass of information circulating in my hard-working mind. Since I am never without my iPhone, it’s the easiest way to quickly type out anything that is a great idea in the moment. My thoughts can be captured in a word, sentence, paragraph, or even a feeling I want to remember. Whether it’s during a walk, when I wake up from a dream, or after a conversation with a friend – it’s the best way to ensure my insights are accounted for.

Find an accurate transcript (and subtitles in 46 languages) on ted.com: http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius/transcript?language=en "Eat, Pray, Love" author Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses -- and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius.

4. The People

I learn so much from brainstorms and conversations with colleagues and friends. I believe that something as simple as daily banter can inspire an entire campaign idea – if you are listening close enough. A favorite quote of mine is: “I don’t know exactly where ideas come from. It’s just a matter of us figuring out how to receive the ideas waiting to be heard.”

You become the average of the five people you spend the most time with. I surround myself with inspiring, positive and creative people to keep me motivated, and that includes following mentors on social media, binge-watching Ted Talks and tapping into the minds of people from many different backgrounds at work. In such a competitive industry, it’s beneficial to get inspired by those who have achieved greatness. It just pushes me harder to find my own version of success.

5. Live Tweeting

If you've never live tweeted in your life, you must. There's a certain rush that comes along with the experience. I've live tweeted the past four seasons of #TheBachelor/#TheBachelorette, and it's a really great way to challenge your linguistic creativity. Coming up with something witty and original in 140 characters on the fly can feel overwhelming, but what comes out can be such brilliance, rewarded with stars like your math homework in second grade! I've even been retweeted by D-list celebrities! Ah, the glory that comes with it all! And sometimes (a lot of times...) my tweets bomb. Either way, it's a great exercise and I get to read so many amazing one liners from fellow live tweeters that inspire how I write and think.

I hope this was helpful! What inspires you? Please share!