Ahhh, there’s nothing that screams INSPIRATION like a moldy wall with flaking paint. You can’t get better than that! Right?
Well, that’s a matter of opinion. I don’t know about you, but I would have just walked past that wall, probably wondering why the hell I was there in the first place. Even with my creative mind, I would not have come up with something like what’s depicted in that photo.
When people say “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” they have no idea how true that statement is. Beauty is, indeed, in the mind of the beholder…your mind’s eye, so to speak.
In truth, beauty can be found many places, but more often than not it’s most precious where it’s created. Yes, when we look at something and find it soul-stirringly profound, it’s more of a testament of who we are than what that thing is. Five people can watch the same movie and come away with five different perspectives. Ten people can listen to the same music and reveal ten different emotional responses.
You see, we each connect with unique parts of the world around us. Our experiences, education, influences from the people around us, and literally where we’re standing at a given moment, all shape the way we view life.
Yet many people believe that writers have some specially assigned cosmic muse who whispers magical words in their ear as they write. Loads of aspiring writers struggle to find that inner voice because they’re looking for it to come from the outside, when by definition it must come from within.
Here’s what I want you to understand: you can develop the ability to inspire yourself every day.
“How?” I can hear the wheels of the skeptical mind grinding away as you wonder whether to throw your head back and laugh at this absurdity, or shake your head slowly from side to side with a dismissive and disapproving tsk, tsk, tsk.
So let me get to the task of proving it to you.
You can stop believing the lie of cosmic inspiration by choosing to live every moment of every day. Yeah, that’s it. Sounds simple, but for most of us bustling through life, it’ll take some doing before we truly get it. We can’t recall what we had for breakfast last week Monday, let alone the color of the plate we used. Opening yourself up to the wonder of the mundane is the answer, and it’s something you can learn.
I often play storytelling games with my daughters to celebrate their creativity and refine my own. These aren’t the type of games that cause you to gather around a table with family and friends, however. They are ongoing games that crop up anytime, anywhere. We add voices to animals, create conversations between birds on a wire, dogs trotting about, and even butterflies flitting from flower to flower.
We pick random strangers out of a crowd and give them a back story based on the way they’re dressed and their facial expressions. We provide plausible reasons for the erroneous placement of objects and create a rationale for actions and behaviors.
And we notice the little things – the shadows dancing on the ground as wind blows through the trees at sunset; the varying shades of gray on clouds as the sky prepares for rain; the way sunlight sparkles differently on different objects; and how an ant seems to float aimlessly like an anomaly in a weird snow globe when you put a drop of water on it.
Everyday life is full of details that we constantly miss, details that are funny and amazing and keep us full of wonder. It takes nothing but a few moments to stop and notice.
When you can reimagine the world around you, there is no shortage of inspiration. It’s nice to say, “Go out there and find beauty,” but I prefer to say, “Go out there and create it.”
Following on the heels of your response to Lie #1, you would have, at this point, already scheduled some writing time. Now, as you buckle down to respond effectively to Lie #2, all you need to do is to write at the allotted time.
At first, it won’t come easy, but after some time of letting your brain know “This Is Writing Time!” you’ll find that ideas come, and writing will take place.
If you’re working on nonfiction, use the time to make notes on relevant articles or topics. You can even respond to a video or documentary you looked at. If you’re working on fiction, use the time to enhance your character or setting description as you create worlds and people. Whatever you do, when you sit to write, make sure that you write.
You can even be cheeky and write something like, “I’m sitting here thinking about what to write and nothing seems to be coming, but this article I read said I should just write and so I am doing that…just write.”
Then reflect on that sentence and write the next thing that comes to your mind.
Or you can be a bit more proactive and decide ahead of time what you’ll be writing about and then sit and write about that thing.
At any rate, it really will only be a matter of time before you get into the habit of writing, of producing, and then the magic will happen.
So, dispense with the lies you’ve been telling yourself about waiting for inspiration, and get started on actively creating it.
As always, happy writing.
