6 Sources I Draw Inspiration From

Although there’s plenty to talk about when it comes to rural planning and community development, I do get writer’s block from time to time. At times, I need inspiration from outside sources to conjure up the subjects I want to focus on throughout the year. For this, I have a wide range of websites / social media sources that I peruse to spark my interest.

Provided below are five sources that make the biggest impact on my writings on the blog.

Main Street America

Main Street America‘s Twitter…ok, X feed (@NatlMainStreet)…is a veritable treasure trove of content. They post about one to two times a day with plenty of viable posts that make you want to click to learn more.

Although there are more resources available to Main Street communities, they have plenty of readily available information for everyone.

Booked on Planning

I’ve posted about Booked on Planning on here before. Unlike the other sources here, Booked on Planning (@BookedPlanning) is focused on a podcast format. Each month, cohosts Stephanie Rouse (@planning_lady) and Jennifer Hiatt mic up with various authors to discuss their books.

The show is in it’s third season and not showing any signs of slowing down. They have piqued my interest in reading few planning books that have been covered on their show.

Save Your Town

Becky McCray (@BeckyMcCray) and Deb Brown (@debworks) are “all in” on their efforts to help small towns survive. I concur with their statement on the Save Your Town website that announces “You’re in the right place to get practical steps you can put into action right away to shape a better future for your community.”

I follow these two on a couple of different social media outlets and they have a clear determination to help communities that is evident in their posts.

JC Shepard(dot)com

One of my fellow Nebraska planners, John Shepard started his own blog a couple years ago. It has already become popular amongst planning circles.

JC Shepard.com is centered on inspiring people with insights on economic development, urban planning, and community improvement. His mission, through the blog, is to provide valuable, actionable content which supports economic developers and planners, policymakers, and community leaders.

APA

I’m a community planner by training, by career, and by heart. That’s why the American Planning Association (APA) is one of my main sources of inspiration. Although many of the writings on Rural Resurrection are not planning-related, planning creates the base from where all communities can thrive.

Beyond APA’s website, they are active on social media platforms like X (@APA_Planning), LinkedIn, and others. They also deluge my email inbox regularly with links to articles. Though much of it is too urban in nature to be practically applied in a town of 800, there are always tidbits of information or idea-starters that provide the creative boost I need.

Only in Your State

Let’s end this list with one that might be a bit of a shocker to a few of you. Only In Your State is more of a travel website with clickbait-like posts that draw you into reading more about a specific attraction in or near a community.

The postings themselves don’t typically serve as my main focus, but they do create enough interest for me to read further. I’ll quickly start “down the rabbit hole” as I read up on the underlying community. Often I find a story within the story as I find intriguing aspects of the community behind the attraction highlighted by Only in Your State’s post.

Only But a Few

These five sources are only a few of the many sources that I pull inspiration from throughout the year. On X, I follow over 900 accounts alone. There’s always good sources of information to help your community out there, you just have to keep looking.