Finding Inspiration: for Artists and Writers

Most creative types are proud of the fact that they can consistently produce a high quality of work, without needing to “be inspired”. However, everyone has days in which they find themselves stuck, unable to write, paint or create.

Inspiration often pops up in the strangest places. Everything surrounding us can be used as a source of inspiration, not matter how dull. It just depends on the way you look at it.

I find that leaving my usual work spot and taking a wander around the house, garden or neighborhood can quickly spice up my mood and get my creativity drooling in anticipation of its next project.

Sometimes, simply sitting in a sidewalk café, drinking tea and watching passersby leads to a quick, excited departure as I race home to embark on expressing the source of my new inspiration. A waitress, watching another customer carefully, makes me question, “Who is she? Why is she staring at him? Her shoes are dirty, yet her uniform is immaculate. She wears cheap plastic earrings yet on her wrist is an expensive silver bracelet. What personality combines so many opposites?”

And then, and image of a lonely girl wearing pajamas and writing an entry in her diary pops into my head, and I realize that perhaps she would create an interesting character in my next story.

The internet is wonderful for inspiring images, stories and information. Stumble Upon is my new favorite. It allows you to stumble from one page to the next, without knowing where you are headed or what you may find. You tube provides plenty of visual stimulation, and there are plenty of artists displaying their work online through video.

Another way of finding inspiration is to talk to people. Phone a friend and chat for a while. Ask them about topics that they don’t encounter on a daily basis. If there was an Earth colony on the Moon, would they be tempted to relocate there? If they became president, what is the first thing they would do? What ideas do they have to solve the fuel crisis?

Each mind is unique, and it is interesting to hear other people’s opinions on a topic, especially if you have mulled it over in your mind so much that you have overlooked certain views.

By simply changing our perspective of our surroundings, we can find new sources of inspiration. After all, art is self-expression; the way in which we respond to the world.