Find Some Inspiration
"Create what causes a revolution in your heart. The rest will take care of itself." - Elizabeth Gilbert
Nine months have passed since my last blog post. It's like I'm giving birth all over again to my blog! I am here to share my inspirational role models and let you in on what I've been doing to kickstart my creativity.
Julia Cameron's, The Artist's Way, is a surefire way to galvanize creative action through weekly readings and exercises. If you're not sure where to start, I suggest picking up Cameron's book.
For the past few weeks, I shut off the world and sat down every day to write poems - just to see where my mind wanted to go. I also signed up for several writing courses and will be participating in a full day memoir writing workshop this weekend. I plan to attend a couple poetry readings and another writing workshop next month. As I walk my creative path, I feel encouraged and motivated by several remarkable people. Maybe their words will resonate with you as well.
One person in particular who can light a fire under my ass is Elizabeth Gilbert. I devoured her book, Big Magic, and also listened to a master class she led titled "Creative Living Beyond Fear." Gilbert speaks a lot about allowing yourself permission to be creative. You are entitled to live a creative life. It is what our minds are wired for.
Creativity requires persistence- it's not always the easiest road to take. Think about everything that took persistence for you to get through in life. Think about everything you have survived thus far. Fall down? Keep getting back up. We've all been there. As Elton John says, "I'm still standing." If you're reading this right now, you're still standing too! (or sitting).
"Frustration is not an interruption of your process; frustration is the process."
Gilbert goes on to say, "Holding yourself together through all the phases of creation is where the real work lies" (Gilbert, 2015, p.149).
"Every time you express a complaint about how difficult and tiresome it is to be creative, inspiration takes another step away from you, offended" (Gilbert, 2015, p.117).
Some of you may be saying,
"But I don't have time to play with my creative muse. I have a job that takes up all my time and energy."
"People don't do this kind of thing because they have all kinds of extra time and energy for it; they do this kind of thing because their creativity matters to them enough that they are willing to make all kinds of extra sacrifices for it" (Gilbert, 2015, p.156).
She adds: "There's no dishonor in having a job. What is dishonorable is scaring away your creativity by demanding that it pay for your entire existence" (Gilbert, 2015, p.155). "You might very well kill off your creativity by holding it to such a harsh ultimatum."
What am I supposed to create? Where do I start?
How do I live creatively? How can I feel inspired to create?
From my experience, I would say
TRY SOMETHING NEW.
It's good for me to get out of my head a lot because I tend to think and analyze to an unhealthy extent. I've always loved trying new things because it opens me up to new worlds and allows my brain to breathe and explore. From there, new ideas are likely to come.
Take some simple advice from writer/novelist, Kurt Vonnegut.
He suggests,"Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will have created something."
I have also gleaned inspiration from Ralph Waldo Emerson and Danielle LaPorte. Their beliefs about life seem to be in harmony with one another. (Fun fact: They were both born on May 25). Emerson was a philosopher, poet, and innovative thinker of the mid-19th century. If he were still alive today, he would understand the essence of my blog. Emerson summed up life's greatest challenge when he said, "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."
As I was sitting here typing this last sentence, I glanced over to a magnet I randomly decided to place in my room today. It's another quote from Emerson. I love synchronicities like that.
He said, "Break the monotony. Do something strange and extravagant!"
LaPorte is an inspirational speaker and author who encourages people to live from their hearts to create an authentic life. I resonate with her message about listening to your own internal desires instead of following the confines of society. She says, "Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?"
Still feeling uninspired?
Gilbert proclaims, "Inspiration will always be drawn to motion. So wave your arms around. Make something. Do something. Do anything. Call enough attention to yourself with some sort of creative action, and - most of all- trust that if you make enough of a glorious commotion, eventually inspiration will find its way home to you again" (Gilbert, 2015, p.254).
Now is the time to do something extraordinary. Get moving!
Dance to this song and get inspired!
