It might be one of the best feelings in the world. It’s the feeling that I think we all chase in our creative minds. It could be the daydream, it could be the next song or film, or it could be the next big idea. That moment of inspiration is completely unmistakable. Although, it never lasts as long as we hope it can. That is mostly why they say when inspiration strikes, take action. And I deeply believe this to be true. However, is it possible to find inspiration more often? To encourage it, maybe even create it? I believe so.
My life relies on creativity. It’s not just on building a company, it’s on the work that is done in the company, the way that I approach my life, the way that I see the world. Creativity is a part of me, as I believe that it is a part of all of us. I’ve always known that when I feel that spark of creativity, something has to happen. Most of the time, the first thing that I do is jump around in excitement. Pacing back and forth, a smile on my face, my breath more focused, eyes wider, it’s like this energy that overtakes my body. I then get after it, whatever it is. If it’s an edit, I usually can easily sit for eight hours straight, without getting up, creating. Contrast this where there are days when twenty minutes can seem like an entire day and the difference becomes very clear. If it is an idea, I can come up with an entire structure, brand identity, messaging, and product. It’s a super cool moment when it strikes but it never strikes on a consistent timeline. It can be late at night, it can be mid-morning, it is quite erratic. However, I have noticed a few things, apart of the preparation for creativity that I talk about, that help bring more inspiration into my work.
I surround myself with the things that inspire me. I know this seems incredibly simple, and it is to a certain extent. But it is also quite challenging when we live in a world of distractions and responsibilities. It is all about blocking out distractions and focusing as much as possible on the things that you find inspiration in. There are a few books that I can always pick up to read and I find inspiration. Music scores are truly one of the biggest things I surround myself with. I can hear the moments of emotion in the song, where it was reflected in the film, and how it made me feel. But I also find inspiration in listening to a TED talk from somebody who has overcome impossible obstacles or go swimming and see an eagle fly over my head. The more I can surround myself with those things, the more inspiration I have in everything that I do.
There are still the responsibilities of emails, the “boring” things we have to do as adults. When I was younger, I used to think that truly “making it” in life was getting to do the thing you loved, day in and day out, without any interference from those “boring” things that take me out of those inspirational things. Not only is it unavoidable, it was also a lesson that I needed to reframe the way that I looked at those “boring” things. Rather than those things being separate from the more fun and inspiring things to do, they were actually part of the rhythm, essential to the process. I began to approach these tasks with a bit more of an open mind, imagining that each moment can contribute to the inspiration that I feel in its own way. For example. I may hate sending emails (I do), but I know that there is an email about to come in that says, “Let’s tell that story that has never been told.” By approaching it with a more open mindset, it allowed me to not feel like everything was a constant slog through the mud to get to the point where I can have boundless creativity and inspiration.
But more inspiration, excitement, joy, and energy actually has come from one simple action - being aware and present to the world around me. What brings me joy and excitement? Who do I talk to in a day where I step away from the conversation feeling excited about it? What are those little moments where the world stops moving, even just for a fleeting moment? Those times are inspiration. That’s the funny thing about it, there is no recipe. It is just about living life in a constant state of observation, appreciation, and recognition of the special moments along the way. I view inspiration like a phone battery (stay with me on this). The concept is that in order to use your inspiration on something truly meaningful, you have to charge the battery. This takes adding energy to it as often as possible. When it comes time to use the inspiration, the battery depletes. It then has to be recharged again. This is the rhythm quite similar to most things in life. It is a delicate balance and an exchange of one thing for another. An equal and opposite reaction as a pretty famous scientist once said.
So while I believe that inspiration would be wonderful if it was more frequent, it only comes from charging the battery more often. But it is absolutely essential that you fill the battery as much as possible, every single day. Life is full of inspiring moments; moments that are often overlooked due to stress, anxiety, and constantly living in the mindset of the future. I’m guilty of this a lot because I have always thought that thinking three chess moves ahead in life is the only way forward. But it doesn’t have to be. It can exist as a thought, maybe even become a goal. But in order to truly find inspiration, it can only come from something in the present moment. Before I wrote this, I was thinking about what I have to do tomorrow, my swim, the emails I have to send, the goals that I want to make progress towards. I wasn’t even planning on writing at all. But I began listening to a playlist of music that I have curated that sparked the inspiration to write. And all of a sudden, I finished writing.