I read in a blog post some time ago that the word “inspire” means in spirit. This makes sense to me because what makes inspiration what it is, is the passion and willingness behind doing whatever it is you are being inspired to do. I suppose you could be inspired to do the dishes or mow the lawn but the likelihood of that situation lives in an entirely different dimension of reality where paying taxes and being nice to telemarketers is idealized. For these instances, it is more than likely “motivation” that you would be looking for. And the fact that some people lump motivation and inspiration together as meaning the same thing, is just sad. Because, inspiration is beautiful.
Common steps for finding inspiration: (these are in no particular order, and do not have to pair well with one another… what works for one person might be totally different for another person)
- Find a quiet place where there are no distractions of any kind. (this includes ridiculously cute pets you might be tempted to post to your social media… Oh ya and no phones. Turn that thing off.)
- Depending on what kind of inspiration you are looking for, if the quiet thing isn’t do it for you, try the opposite. Immerse yourself in earth shattering rock and roll (or your obnoxious genre of choice) and drown out any outside thoughts or cares. Peace and quiet is 9 times out of 10 the better solution, but do what you have to do. Just don’t lie to yourself about needing to fill the silence. If your brain really does function better with the noise, then go for it!
- Once your mind becomes clear for at least 5 to 10 minutes, SLOWLY take your brain back to the task at hand by thinking of the general category of what you are doing. For instance, if you are writing lyrics, think of where music began. How simple melodies can achieve such a passionate response and how people made music thousands of years ago when there was no technology, and then build up to current time. You can use this method for whatever you are trying to find inspiration for. The biggest killer of inspiration, is rushing your brain.
- Many people find that sunshine itself can open up thought processes so make sure that if you are working in a studio to have many windows or take the time to go for a long walk
- Another way to find inspiration for the analytical, black and white, left brain thinkers, is to make a word list or a mind map. you can try it yourself, and if you want to explore other possibilities, keep your data to the side and start over with a group of people and turn it into a massive brainstorming session.
- A very well documented method of brainstorming is mood boards which fall under the umbrella of a larger category of inspiration called “Working Walls”. I will explain this method further later on in this post.
- Though it seems a bit juvenile, sometimes a good way to become inspired is to put pen/pencil to paper. Whether you are doodling pictures of a dragon, writing down words to help you think, or just defining negative space by coloring your sheet of paper entirely, I have found that if nothing else, this is a great way to destress and clear your mind.
- Meditate. If you are a rookie and have never extensively meditated before, then just close your eyes, don’t move and take 10 to 20 slow deep breaths and try to concentrate on stark white nothingness. you should be relaxed while doing this. If you are not, then you probably aren’t doing it correctly.
- One of the most obvious but also frequently overlooked as a method of inspiration is research. No matter the topic, it is very difficult to know EVERYTHING there is to know about it, especially with the world wide web at our disposal. But don’t stop there. Libraries, bookstores and museums can be a great outlet for any sort of inspiration you might be looking for. If anything in this world will bring inspiration to a person, it’s knowledge.
These are just a few different ways you might try to open up your mind and make it more susceptible to letting the inspiration in.
In one of the bullet points earlier, I mentioned the Working Wall method. I read an article by one of my favorite blogs, titled “Up On The Wall: How Working Walls Unlock Creative Insight”. This whole theory is based on the fact that take tiny tidbits of physical concepts, notes, drawings and anything else that is flat and relates to your project (in a word, your work-in-progress) and putting them on a large vertical surface, will allow you to rearrange, rethink and break through conceptual barriers that you almost certainly wouldn’t have noticed before. Now when I (they) say a “vertical surface”, this can mean a computer monitor, an actual wall in a room, a window, a chalkboard, a marker board, a computer monitor and so on and so forth. Any vertical space that you can stick stuff to is what we are looking for here. And yes I said computer monitor, which means yes you can include Pinterest boards.
This brings me to a very important method of finding inspiration, research. Now I realize that there are hundreds of websites out there that have similar functions to the website I am about to soapbox, but to keep this blog post from threatening lengths comparable to War and Peace, I will stick with what I know, and what I love. I have indeed fallen victim to one of the most addictive social media campaigns out there today and its name is Mac Daddy Pinterest. Or, Pinterest for short. People who are not in the know of how incredibly useful and resourceful Pinterest can be make fun and say its an outlet for housewives and lovers of all things Martha Stewart. I could not disagree with them more and anytime I get the opportunity to sway someone's opinion of what Pinterest can be, I always take advantage. In the same way that Inspiration is for everyone, so is Pinterest. I compare them hand in hand, because whether your passion be food, zombies, or automobiles, there is inspiration to be found on Pinterest. Why does Pinterest work so well? It is the largest mind map out there. If I spell out Typography in the search box on Pinterest, I will soon be looking at millions of other people's’ posts, all inspired by typography. And then, not only can I scroll for hours looking at these hubs of inspiration, I can collect, organize and catalog all of my favorites and save them for later! These are only the basics of what Pinterest can do for you and your own personal inspiration, but I think part of the reward comes from going on the journey yourself. Some of my boards are displayed in the photo below.
Inspiration comes from the Latin word inspirare which means “to breathe into”. It is most commonly thought to refer to an instant burst of creativity. The ancient Greeks thought that inspiration was brought to each person by the Muses, the goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. Today we associate the word with much the same. When someone hears inspiration, their first thought is most likely of a painter/artist or a writer of some sort. It is true that workers of these kinds of trade often do search for inspiration, but what some of us fail to notice I think, that creativity can be found in all things. And therefore, so can inspiration. Is it not creative thoughts and practice that allow the soccer player to skillfully lead the ball into their opponents goal? Can’t a man or women of business be much the same inspired by the right focus, meditation or hearing the right dialogue before launching a new business venture to potential clients? Everyone is capable of being inspired, and there are many ways to begin the process. All in all, I would venture to say that inspiration is about having the right mindset, knowing your goals, and finding what works for you.
