How to Crack the Jackpot of Inspiration
© 2009
Julie Jordan Scott
I have a story for you, today, about inspiration – and
how to tap into inspiration anytime using any creative
medium or method.
The illustration uses photography and writing. These
experiences can be translated into any form of creativity,
even if that creativity is related to building your
business or strengthening a relationship or writing
a poem or sculpting a new form.
Take what I offer and let the words help to crack
inspiration open in you in a profound, new way.
I know you are ready – and willing – and have
intense desire and focus.
Step into it, now – with me.
My friend, Victor, and I were in the midst of a
conversation about motivation and inspiration
yesterday. We were talking about feeling it and
not feeling it and what our responses were,
either way.
I told him about my recent journey from Bakersfield
to Corona del Mar and back again in one day for my
Uncle's funeral. It felt different, that day,
because I didn't feel compelled at all to pull
my notebook from my backpack and catalog my
experience with words. "It was strange," I noted
without further reflection or judgment.
I added, almost absently, "I did take a lot
of photos, though."
I took a quiet breath. "It was something, taking
photos." My words sounded almost like an apology.
I turned the conversational attention to my friend.
"What about you?" I asked. "What have you
photographed lately?"
"Not a thing," he answered. "Nothing has
interested me."
I coughed, gagged and sputtered. I heard some
version of a vocalized "What?!" burst from
deep in my lungs.
He asked me a question, "What am I going to
photograph here in Podunk, USA?"
I was speechless, absolutely speechless. Victor
has taught me so much about making forward
progress no matter where I am, my dear friend
saying there is nothing to photograph in his
version of Podunk, USA which is very similar
to my version of Podunk, USA. Victor's lack
of inspiration right where he was, Podunk
or not, shocked me right into wordlessness.
I decided to take a slightly different angle
to our conversation.
"Remember how you have complimented me for
having a great eye in my photos?" I asked him.
He nodded yes. I asked another question.
"How do you suppose I developed what you
describe as `a great eye'?" There was a pause.
"You take a lot of pictures." Victor responded.
"Yes, I take a lot of pictures. Every day I
take pictures. Here, in Bakersfield, in MY
Podunk, USA." I paused again. "Every day."
Every day I take photos of aspects of life I
find interesting because I choose to find the
images right in front of me interesting.
I choose to be interested in objects which may
not be notable to anyone else but me. I want
to be fully engaged so I engage with what is
in front of me. It is so simple.
That's what living a creative lifestyle is about,
it is about an invitation to become more fully
engaged in your life.
What will you choose to be interested in today?
I choose to be interested in the metaphors
during my journey of the past several days. Of
architectural elements, of cornices, archways,
doorways, the tiles in benches and walls. I
choose to be interested in changing perspectives,
in looking from the undersides, in noticing
how the changing light changes how I see and
experience things. I choose to get right up
against things, to let me lense get microscopically
close to a subject.
I choose to engage wonder about the bark on the
palm tree in my front yard and then turn to engage
in the wonder of the bark on the palm in my backyard,
which is different than the bark on the front palm.
I choose to engage wonder with the spider web, the
leaves on the mulberry tree, the window sill the
spider web is woven upon, the movement of the
sun throughout the day and throughout the seasons.
It is in these moments when I notice the beauty
around me coupled with the conscious action of
taking photos of "uninteresting things" in my
version of Podunk, USA, that magic happens.
This is when inspiration cracks open inside
of me. I allow myself to be devoted to seeing
in a new way without being attached to "being
inspired" – believing I need inspiration in order
to crack open creativity and instead, allow
inspiration to be cracked open through
the devoted actions I take.
My devoted, conscious action invited inspiration
to crack open within me.
I invited inspiration to come in and as always,
inspiration didn't fail me.
This is significant. Remember this message: I
didn't wait for inspiration to be there. Instead,
I invited it to join me and consciously acted
in a space and attitude of wonder, of
gratitude, of engagement.
You don't have to wait for inspiration, either. You
can choose to crack it open inside of you by engaging
with life right in front of you, right there, right now.
Inspiration is right there, exactly where you are,
exactly as you are in an infinite number of forms
and images.
Look around your space right now, with a renewed
sense of wonder.
What do you see? Smell? Feel? Hope? Wish?
Take what you see, smell, feel, hope, wish and
wrap it up in a creative adventure with words
or photos or song or prayer or sketch.
Crack yourself open to the inspiration all
around you right now.
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Official Words from Julie Jordan Scott
You may use the article written by Julie Jordan Scott in this issue
of Discover Your Passion as long as all the copy remains intact and you
include this resource box at the conclusion of the article:
********************************************
Julie Jordan Scott, Personal Success and Creativity Coach
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