How do you stay inspired and avoid cliches in a genre that has a long history and many well-known tropes?

This is quite an interesting question.

Many storytellers usually resort to the "opposite trope" to avoid cliches in traditional stories. For example, in a pulp detective story in the 1920's, detectives were usually men. So the opposite trope would be a woman detective, featuring a trenchcoat and looking from the shadows, right? Well...maybe visually, but that's not really breaking a cliche, it's just gender swapping.

Breaking cliches and tropes requires research and an open mind. How was society in the 1920's? If a woman were to dedicate herself as a PI, what would be her story? Would she wear a trenchcoat or maybe plain, housewive clothes to avoid any attention? Or maybe a femme fatale attitude and attire? Maybe both? Would she also drink whiskey and smoke intensively in their old office, or would she prefer working in the open, as no one would expect them to be on stakeout while they have an espresso in a fancy café? 

The same happens with other tropes like "From Rags to Riches", or "The Journey of the Hero". The "What if" curiosity will bring you to new places and situations. If money was not the main currency in your setting, how would a "Rags to Riches" storyline work? 

Obviously, this is harder if someone is heavily commited to specific social and cultural environments. Researching other ways of living, traveling and hearing new stories can help you overcome being stuck and starting your stories "in a dark, stormy night".