Where do we get inspiration and what do we do with it?
“In the same spirit as those earlier collectors filling their cabinets of curiosities, I feel compelled to collect quite a variety of things. I draw artistic inspiration from the treasures I find at the flea market.”
That is painter Mark Ryden - and his studio is a rich collection of objects that inspire his creative imagination. [From the page Painting.]
Inspiration for creative work and personal development can come in many forms, sometimes carefully sought out, sometimes a “bolt from the blue” - or at least an idea, an image, a song that resonates for us and gives us an emotional charge.
Maria Grace, PhD, for example, says we can find it in movies, and describes how to take notes and discuss ideas with others to make them even more helpful, in her article How to Become Creative with Inspiration from Movies.
Creativity coach and writer Gail McMeekin says, “We know we are creative beings. Yet, we are also well aware that sometimes our creativity stalls, plays tricks on us, or appears to have vanished completely.
“It is at those moments that we need to reconnect with our vitality around our creative process or project and leverage our inspirational powers to stimulate our ability to make new connections.”
From her article Creative Catalysts.
But Maureen Neihart, Psy.D. notes in her article Creativity, the Arts, and Madness that it can be a psychologically demanding journey: “The notion that inspiration requires regression and dipping into irrationality in order to access unconscious symbols and thought has been popular across disciplines for hundreds of years. Plato said that creativity is a ‘divine madness…a gift from the gods.’”
And in our interview, Stephen A. Diamond, Ph.D. said that during the creative process one can enter into what he calls a state of ‘benevolent possession.’
“It’s a sort of trance. The artist allows herself or himself to be swept up in the raging current of primordial images, ideas, intuitions and emotions emanating from the daimonic or unconscious, while, at the same time, retaining sufficient conscious control to render this raw energy or prima materia into some new creative form.”
[From interview: The Psychology of Creativity: redeeming our inner demons.]
Looking at the value of inspiration for personal growth and change, James Ray declares, “Inspirational quotes don’t inspire… Inspiration and motivation comes from within. The word inspiration includes the Latin spiritus literally meaning to be ‘in spirit’ or ‘filled with spirit.’”
He adds that these “ubiquitous words of eternal wisdom do carry some degree of power and potential transformation. Surrounding yourself with positive energy, in a world inundated with negative input, can assist you in staying plugged in to that power source lying deep within your core; and help offset the negative or weakening bombardment.”
But, he adds, information is not power - “it is potential power and only moves beyond potentiality when placed into action.”
From his article The Power of Inspirational Quotes.
In his article Personal Development - The Plan, Jim Rohn emphasizes the value of writing ideas down, finding “one place to gather the information that affects change.
“Record the ideas and inspiration that will carry you from where you are to where you want to be. Take notes on the ideas that impact you most.”
February 11th, 2008 at 2:54 am
Well, I draw inspiration from my daily activities and the people I associate. Most of the time take and idea and blog about it.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:32 am
I collect bottles and display them on the shelf where I keep all my books. They’re pretty but don’t serve as inspiration. They’re mostly clutter. Writing is my passion. I find inspiration in other ideas. What they make me feel is what inspires me to write something. So it is as you said. It isn’t the quotes that are inspiring but the feeling one gets from reading them.