The* other day, I received an email from a woman who said I was inspiring. It was a nice thing to hear albeit a little surprising. I’ve never taken the time to ponder whether I’m inspirational. I simply do what I am meant to do and hope that some people enjoy it.
I think my attitude is based on the fact that I’ve never been one to wait for inspiration to strike. I sometimes seek inspiration, but I don’t spend too much time looking for it. If I do, I will never create. I will be distracted by my pursuit for inspiration. That pursuit may be a good thing, but it’s not necessarily the better thing. The better thing is to get to work and to create my own inspiration.
What do I mean by creating my own inspiration? Simply this: inspiration is an infrequent guest. She may or may not arrive on time, if she arrives at all. My response to her flakiness is not to wait for her. I start to work. If she makes an appearance, fine. If she she doesn’t, that’s fine, too. I don’t need her companionship, although I welcome it when it is given.
The truth is that everyone has the ability to be inspired and, in being inspired, to inspire others. It’s easy to forget that fact when distracted by other things, such as the pursuit of inspiration or a new job or moving to a new city. Perhaps that isn’t all bad; it sometimes is easier to create when not worrying whether the creation is “inspired.” Still, it doesn’t hurt to be reminded that one is inspirational and has the capacity to be inspired and to inspire others every now and again.
*Originally published on February 10, 2012
I agree with everything you said. If you are a writer than you write regardless of whether the muse has run away or is sitting on your lap.
@TheJackB I had a response planned, but it has drifted away between the time I read your comment via email and the time it took to get here. Maybe inspiration or memory will strike. 😉 I think I just remembered it. You tend to get a lot more writing done when you’re writing rather than when you’re waiting for that one idea.