Inspiration

Because I consider myself to be a creative person, I often find myself looking for inspiration.  I think now I have been doing it wrong all these years and in fact, inspiration comes looking for me.  This new way of looking at it comes from a book that landed in my hands. I realize it is a best seller and has landed in the hands of many people, but it is interesting (to me at least) how I came to read (and soon to re-read) this book.  

Shortly after Christmas I was in a mall looking for a bathing suit (that is another story) and popped into the bookstore to see if anything inspired me.  ha ha.  I picked this book up, turned it over, held it for a while, read the inside jacket, carried it a while longer and put it down, walked out without it and didn't give it another thought.  A few hours later while talking with my psychotherapist (yes, I go regularly, and that is another story too) I was telling her how absolutely uninspired I felt about every aspect of my life and how I was finding it difficult to move forward with anything.  She asked me if I had read BIG MAGIC and if not, I needed to read it. I told her how I had had it in my hands earlier that day and she said that she believed the book was trying to find me.  Right there from her office I texted my butler (no, I don't really have a butler), to see if he could swing by the bookstore and get it for me and he did.  A short time later the book was in my hands again. That "coincidence", to me, is magic.  

So what is inspiration and where does it come from?  If you google the origin of the word you will find quite a few definitions and origins.  The one the resonated most for me was from the on-line etymology dictionary:  

inspiration (n.) c. 1300, "immediate influence of God or a god," especially that under which the holy books were written, from Old French inspiracion "inhaling, breathing in; inspiration" (13c.), from Late Latin inspirationem (nominative inspiratio), noun of action from past participle stem of Latin inspirare "blow into, breathe upon," figuratively "inspire, excite, inflame," from in- "in" (see in- (2)) + spirare "to breathe" (see spirit (n.)). 

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. [Gen. ii.7]The sense evolution seems to be from "breathe into" to "infuse animation or influence," thus "affect, rouse, guide or control," especially by divine influence. 

Inspire (v.) in Middle English also was used to mean "breath or put life or spirit into the human body; impart reason to a human soul." Literal sense "act of inhaling" attested in English from 1560s. Meaning "one who inspires others" is attested by 1867.

I am in agreement with Elizabeth Gilbert after reading her book that inspiration finds us.  It comes to those who are open and willing to work with it.  It comes in and out very quickly and can be gone in an instant if you are not listening and looking.  At times it talks to you quietly giving you a little nudge.   At other times it shouts loud and clear.  The times when inspiration really hits you is when you feel a little electric shock and the hair on the back of your neck tingles and perhaps your heart starts beating faster. How do you ignore a sign like that?  I don't know.. but I can and do.  

I realize I have met inspiration many times and not listened, told it to go away, moved on to more important matters.  And guess what happens?  It goes away, unused (by me at least).  If I could show you the number of draft blogs I have  you would understand what I mean.  I get an inspiration and start writing and then walk away to do something "more important" and it leaves me right then and there with an unfinished blog  and no idea what I meant to say.  Wooosh.!  Gone!

Inspiration finds me most often when I am outside.  I do not think this is a coincidence either.  When I am outside surrounded by nature is when I am most myself.  I am my happiest, my most open, most real self. That is when the window is open for inspiration to come in.   Inspiration also finds me in the morning when I feel fresh and before the rest of the day and responsibilities seep in.

Inspiration called to me this morning to write this blog.  It was loud and it was clear, and it got me out of bed (but waited patiently while I made a tea and fed the cat).  It helped me type this on my new keyboard without too many errors (the keyboard is very small .. why do they make them like this?), and it let the words come as they wanted to.  

And now, perhaps, someone out there who reads this blog will stop looking for inspiration and let inspiration come to them.  Be open, look for the signs, and when it comes to visit, hang on to it and be your most creative beautiful self.  Cook, garden, paint, write, take photos, draw doodles, knit, sing, make pottery.  Do whatever creative endeavour that makes your heart and soul sing.  It doesn't matter what others think.  It only matters that your creative soul shines even a little bit.

Wishing you an inspired and beautiful day.