8 WAYS TO FIND INSPIRATION
How do you find Inspiration when you want to create something? Do you sit and wait for it to strike like lightning? The problem with this? Lightning never strikes twice in the same place.
You can count on it being shocking if you do get hit, but statistically, your chances of getting hit or killed by lightning are pretty small. I am not a gambler, but I would not put my money on getting struck by Inspiration if I were.
There are other ways to find Inspiration, however. The following are eight tips for adding more Inspiration to your creative life. And this is not only for you folks whose way of expressing themselves in art, music, or writing. These tips are for homemakers, gardeners, and volunteers at soup kitchens. These tips apply to any situation that calls for Creativity.
TIP # 1- PLACE AND HOSPITALITY
When a guest by any other name drops by our home, we can offer them a stool in the corner, but most of us would not expect them to be comfortable. Instead, we go out of our way to provide an uncluttered and comfy space for their pleasure.
Inspiration is like a guest, and she isn’t going to want to return when the space we provide is full of clutter and chaos. Find or make a ‘guest room,’ an area set aside that is designated for creative activity, so Inspiration will know she has been expected and wants to stay.
TIP #2 -TIME AND STILLNESS
Waiting for Inspiration to arrive takes time. She may be crossing generations in your family lineage or arriving after a rough crossing on an ocean of fear and doubt. It is a time of preparation and waiting, a time of listening for her arrival.
Like a butterfly landing on a screen door, she is easy to miss. When I am too busy and distracted, I am unaware of how long Inspiration has been standing and knocking. Allow time to prepare, time to listen, and time to engage. Creativity will not be rushed.
TIP #3 – TOOLS
My dad taught me years ago to always use the right tools for the job. Don’t ever use a hammer to drive in a screw, for example. He also said not to scrimp on quality, and the tools will last a lifetime. I treasure my Levenger’s blue marbled gold-tipped fountain pen I have had for years. My dad didn’t steer me wrong. In the pen’s reservoir swim all the stories I have yet to write.
Find a notebook that you love the feel of to capture ideas, sketch wildflowers, or write poetry. Or a tiller if you garden or a fine handcarved wooden spoon for cooking. Whatever area you would like to explore, do so with the very best tools you can afford. You won’t ever be sorry. You are worth it!
Tip #4 – SYMBOLS AND ICONS
Inspiration loves symbols! I always light two candles when I begin my day of writing. The first one flickers in a small red glass, and I leave it burning during a period of meditation or silent sitting. The second, a larger candle burns whenever I am at my desk working on a new piece of writing.
Candles symbolize the light I yearn for and the light I want to bring to others. I may also employ incense, a singing bowl, or a small 3-minute ‘hourglass’ as tangible ways to stimulate all my senses. These are prayerful actions that tell my body through fragrance, light, and sound that something creative is about to happen.
Creativity is a spiritual practice, and whatever ways you can find to show hospitality to your own spiritual energy will be rewarded with a special visit. The One who wants to use you to express beauty in the world is at your door.
TIP #5 – BOOKS AND AUTHORS
When I read, I am transported to a land of possibility. If I read of climbing a mountain (even a metaphorical one), I say, “Hey, if she can do that, so can I!” When I read of mercy given to someone serving a life sentence, or a child in poverty who rises to great leadership, I breathe in the power that makes their story universal.
Self-help books always make things sound doable, if not exactly easy. So what are the books you have on your shelf? If they don’t get you excited about creating something new, then it is time to take a trip to the bookstore. Good books are the channel for Creativity to visit your mind and soul.
TIP #6 HANG OUT WITH CREATIVE PEOPLE
My mother taught me that who I spend time with determines who I become, and I think there is some truth in that. For years I avoided “creative types” because I had such a low opinion of my own Creativity that I felt we would have little to talk about. And the truth was I created very little myself.
Then I started taking classes in painting and drumming, and pottery and writing. I wasn’t terrific, but I made a new circle of friends and people with skills different from mine. Slowly I have been learning and gaining Inspiration from them to continue this journey.
I find Creativity to be contagious. Find a class in anything that looks interesting at your local adult-ed or senior center. During this pandemic, you will find these classes have moved online along with thousands of opportunities to sit in new energy fields and be inspired. YouTube here we come!
TIP #7. PRAYER, MEDITATION OR WALKING PRACTICE
Spiritual practice of any sort is an invitation to all Creativity. A daily practice of meditating, reading sacred texts or poetry, or taking a slow walk on a forest trail are all ways to show hospitality to the Creativity that wants to visit. Being gracious to this houseguest includes being attentive to their presence, listening deeply to what they have to say, and treasuring their companionship, even if it is brief. To do that calls for sitting, or walking, in silence. Following your breath all the way to the end of each inhale and exhale is an easy way to begin this practice. And it can be done anytime, anywhere.
TIP #8 FIND A WITNESS
Although Creativity is mostly an act of solitude, having another person listen to the poem you just wrote, or taste the food you prepared or see the painting you have been working on acknowledges the presence of Inspiration. Inspiration as a Living Spirit gathers more energy, the more it is witnessed, and the more it is shared.
My hope is that you are inspired by these tips to become hospitable to the Inspiration that wants to visit you in an expression of Creativity today.
