The more I consume Instagram, the harder it gets to come up with good ideas.
My approach to content ideas is probably less organised than people imagine.
I don't have a magical Notion database filled with hundreds of original ideas, and I'm not constantly sitting around trying to think of the next viral reel.
Most of the time, I'm just consuming information and paying attention to things that interest me. I read books, watch interviews, study businesses, and occasionally go down ridiculously specific rabbit holes because something caught my attention.
When I come across an interesting idea, I try to understand why it works and whether it connects to something else I've seen.
A concept about human psychology might explain why a particular marketing campaign worked. A lesson from studying finance might change how I look at a creator's business model. Those connections usually make for much better content than repeating something I saw another creator say.
I think the mistake is treating ideation as an isolated activity. You sit down, open a blank page, and expect your brain to produce something interesting on command. But your brain can only work with the information and experiences you've given it.
Of course, studying other creators is useful, especially early on, when you're still figuring out how to structure a good story or hold someone's attention. I just wouldn't make them your only source of inspiration.
Personally, I've found that the best ideas show up when I'm not actively trying to create something. I'm learning about something, noticing a pattern, or connecting two things that seemed unrelated at first.
Then I realise there's a story worth telling.
The content is almost an afterthought.