INSPIRATION

The word “inspiration” comes from the same root as “respiration.” To inspire has a number of definitions related to breathing, creativity, influence and aliveness. What we are all seeking is inspiration – to feel alive, energized, engaged in meaningful creative activity.
What Inspires You?
Inspiration I believe comes from something you love to do “passion.”
So why do so many of us do what we don’t love?
If you feel like you have no inspiration in your life, ask yourself, are you doing something that you love, something that will give you inspiration each and every day, and if you’re not, how do you start your creative juices flowing.

Inspiration:

1. Inspiration can come in the smallest form, in the most obvious places (places you’ve been, things you’ve seen, looking through old photos, your favourite song).

2. Connecting with other people with the same interests, passions and beliefs can also work to inspire one another.

3. Taking yourself back to a moment that inspired you in the past, what motivated you then, use it to help inspire you now.

4. Inspiration comes when you are open minded, being perceptive to new ideas ( being around new friends, new places of interest or just watching a movie you thought you would never watch before).

5. Solitude is also a place where we can find time for reflection and deep thinking.

Creativity:

1. Creativity comes from making something out of nothing, so the possibilities are seemingly endless, so what are your new ideas or concepts for your work, being creative in new and unique ways means finding new solutions to old problems and being imaginative to both old and new ones.

2. Start writing all your ideas down, carry a small notebook and pen around with you at all times so you can jot them all down, now remember not all your ideas will be great, but writing them all down lets you pick and choose and none will be forgotten.

3. Read as much as you can about everything possible, this will get your brain exercising and allow you to start making creative connections (brain storming).

4. Don’t delay, create your work you have in mind right now, don’t postpone it, there may not be a later time or you may not be able to go back to what you feel today, tomorrow.

Vision:

1. How clear is your vision? This defines how successful you will be in conveying your vision to others, it’s not just creating an idea but creating a story to the idea and sharing your ideas with an audience.
2. Think of all the things possible that might be possible in a given time frame.
3. Suggest as many ideas as you can, don’t try to please others, just please yourself.
4. Edit the list to what you are willing to commit to and where you want to go with it.
5. Create a step by step action plan. This will describe every step you take, how long each step will take and what should be achieved, you can better develop a cast iron action plan that increases the likeliness that your idea will be implemented effectively. And that is what turns a creative idea into an innovation.

Style:

1. A personal style is primarily achieved through your work. This work consists of developing the vision you obtained by following your inspiration and expressing your creativity.

2. You cannot force personal style into being because in many ways style finds us more than we find it. What you can do is work as hard as you can at expressing your vision.

3. A personal style is the expression of your vision. It is also the expression of your personal taste, of your personal choices. It should also be remembered that achieving a style is a journey more than a destination and that the most important asset during this journey is your willingness to work as hard as you can at developing your own style.

4. In order to develop a style you must do something different from what others have done before you. This means that you must take a chance or take a risk. Nothing-risked means nothing gained. You must attempt to go beyond what others have done so far, attempt to push the boundaries, or attempt to do something new. Do something that others did not think you would do. In other words, one has to try and see.

Daya.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive.”

Howard Thurman

Posted on March 5, 2010