Where does inspiration
come from?
It's one of those
questions that so many people ask themselves. Inspiration is a
strange creature, one that comes and goes in the depths of the night
or the wee hours of the morning. A sudden flicker of an image can
spark an entire novel. The sound of a long forgotten song can trigger
a wave of frenzied creativity.
Inspiration is all
around us. From the brilliantly bright colours of autumn to the dull
moments when we allow our mind to drift off to unseen worlds.
Catching that inspiration doesn't take any kind of knack. There's no
tricks to finding it. The only thing you need to engage are your
senses.
Look around yourself.
What do you see? What do you smell? What do you hear? What's sitting
beneath your fingers?
What do you have
hanging on your walls? What do you see out of the window? What does
the sky look like?
All are questions that
we can ask ourselves in the eternal question for that (sometimes)
elusive spark of inspiration. In those moments of darkness when
nothing seems possible, it can be a simple questions which triggers
the outpouring of words on to paper, or art on to canvas, or music on
to tape.
For me, it's
photographs that get my creative juices flowing. I can spend hours
searching through archives for that one perfect image that will help
me to express what I want to say. Social media, Imgur, Getty Images,
Shutterstock, and a host of other sites can transport you to anywhere
in the world (or off it) and to any kind of situation require. It's
like piecing together a giant puzzle, one that will eventually tell a
story.
For others, music does
the trick. Scanning through liner notes, hearing the crackle of a
needle against a record, or taking in the smell of a used record
store can trigger what they need in order to delve in to the depths
of their minds and retrieve the emotions that they need to create.
For those of us who are
currently experiencing winter, inspiration can be hard to find. The
long nights and the cold, sometimes sunless, days can drain an energy
that we have. Yet it's important to continue creating, even when we
don't feel up to it. Creativity is a way to push through some of the
more sombre, and often depressing, feelings that we encounter during
winter. Losing yourself in another world, even for a few moments, can
help to alleviate cold, dark months.
Whatever you use to
inspire you, use it well. Spread it around like glitter and make the
world a better place one piece of art at a time.
If you're stuck for
inspiration, please feel free to visit my page. There you'll find
posts that will hopefully help you to find the spark of creativity
that you need.
