LightBulb

So I'm in a shit mood right now for some reason. Its the kind of mood that makes me picture myself just spitting a huge lugee (sp?) on the ground out of disgust over something. So perhaps I'm in a...... spit mood (for the clean mouths out there)? Regardless of the technicalities, I'm hitting a wall as the end of the semester draws to a close. The nearer I get to the end of a line of crap, the crappier I feel. Odd, huh? I suppose that's just how things go.

Anyways, feelings aside, I thought that today/tonight I'd take some time to talk about inspiration. Particularly, what personally influences me, maybe some ways you can get inspiration, and anything else that I think of as I write.

First off, I get inspiration from a variety of places. These places have changed and morphed over the years, but many things stay fairly consistent. An obvious source that echoes blatantly in many of my writings is relationships (etc). I would say that the reason so many things reflect romantic topics is because they are something that I've been confronted with a lot in the past. Perhaps not as much now, or maybe its the same, but feelings like that play a huge role in people's lives. Not everybody may be able to draw upon feelings of child hood abuse or the death of a loved one in their writing. But most people can relate to the stereotypically like/love/hate cycle that many go through. I think this is another reason I tend to receive generous feedback on those types of poems. People can find themselves in the poems (quite literally for certain people) and potentially relate to what's being said. Another reason that the romantic/hurt pieces come through a lot is because they have strong emotion attached to them. Many great poems are laced with sinewy emotional fibers that act as a portal straight into the poet's heart. Love, hurt, hate, they all become major parts of our lives when they inhabit our hearts. They can be so big, it is easy to examine and analyze them. Strong emotions make great inspiration.

Music and movies are incredibly influential to me. I'd say that music inspires many of my words/artistic nature while movies impact my imagination as a whole. Music makes me feel. Movies make me think. And somewhere along the line, they intertwine into one rope that I either hang myself with or weave into something more. I'd compare my creativity to a factory engineered specifically for me and developed over time. Inspiration in, product out. The only problem when the fuel (motivation) for the machines runs out and I'm left with a bunch of inspiration just sitting there. But when I do have motivation, things can run quite smoothly. I don't know how to explain exactly how things work in my mind, or anyone's for that matter, as far as creating original things from another person's work. It just happens.

Inspiration takes effort. Those who sit around and think that a lightning bolt will strike them and they'll have a great idea and become super wealthy or famous from it is sadly mistaken. Things go that way once in awhile. Usually, you've got to try. However, typically when I write, I just do it. People ask me how I write so well and I don't always know what to tell them. On the one hand I could say that I've paid attention in all my English class and taken notes and tried really hard to perfect everything about my writing style. But that'd be a lie. I was born this way. Of course I don't straight up tell them that to their face. I don't wanna be a little prick about it. I believe that there are people just born to do things.

My best friend Thomass (misspelling intended) does math. He likes Harry Potter too. So calling him a math wizard would bring me satisfaction. He sleeps through his college math classes and gets grades I only see in my dreams anymore. But if he wants to write about something, he needs some inspiration. Some motivation to get him going. He'll tell you that writing isn't his thing, and it may not be, but he's written a couple long, great stories based on things that have inspired him. A person does not need to "born a writer" or "born an anything". You just need some inspiration.

The final thought is how you, Reader, if you carrot all (read it out loud), can gain inspiration. The first thing that needs to be established is what sorts of things do you plan on making? Movies? Music? Stories? It all depends on what you hope to accomplish. Secondly, find things in that area that you personally enjoy. Listen to songs you like, watch things that really grab you. Let your mind receive and analyze elements. Next, let your heart in on the action. You've got to discover what you feel. Being in tune with one's emotions is an important thing in acquiring good inspiration. Perhaps I sound New Age-y, but having a connection to yourself is key. When you can be honest about how things make you feel inside, the next step is to let it out. Scribble down the thoughts you have. Whether from media influences or just the events of the day. Let them out. Examine them. Re-examine them. Do something with them.

And what you have to remember, again, is that inspiration takes work. You have to search for what really drives you inside. For the things that churn your stomach. The stuff that makes you light hearted. The twisted sides of life that make you angry. Anything. And after a long time of this, you'll start to get the hang of it. Things might start coming more easily and your brain will start operating the way you want. And one day, that lightning bolt might just strike.







Leave comments about how you personally gather inspiration as well as QCB (questions, comments, bitching)