Finding Inspiration

In some ways it’s a very strange concept…having to “find” inspiration. Like it’s some kind of rare emotional species hiding in places other than where we are. I guess for me, true creative clarity came when I was mature enough to realize that inspiration was around me all the time. And like other essentials in life, I just needed to let it in on a regular basis in sufficient quantities;  A bit like spiritual calorie counting. When I started doing that, eventually it became intuitive…and every encounter, every conversation, and every day became filled not with “inspiration” but rather artistic fuel. But, that’s really the trick isn’t it? Letting it in…letting it all in.

My awakening started small. I was not knocked off my complacent horse like in a Caravaggio painting. (If you didn’t get that reference, Google it. It’s a good one.) Rather, I began listening and looking into people’s faces. I was literally syncing up the soundtrack of my life with the live video feed into my brain. I tried to identify the mood, attitude and perspective from every encounter. It was enlightening, and fun. I sometimes would imagine myself a reporter…always thinking of the follow-up question. The one that would get me a real answer, instead of the countless stream of meaningless responses people throw out between blinking and breathing. It wasn’t long before I found that my conversations were thicker, and my understanding of my relationships became clear. I started realizing how my actions, and more importantly in-action, affected my world. I realized that inactivity causes things to die, and that activity…motion…breeds connectivity, understanding and artistic fuel.

This Spring, I encourage you to be curious and plant some conversational seeds. Look people in the eye, and water your relationships with sincerity and genuine interest. Do this, and I guarantee you…the inspiration you so desperately seek will grow around you like a garden. Then all you have to do is pick it, and take it in.