I have a question for all of you this cloudy, dreary morning — even you, my hundreds of friends who follow and never comment.
When do you get inspired?
Maybe not so much get inspired to “do art”, but when do you just sit and watch the world pass by and wonder if there’s meaning to all the chaos?
What kind of atmosphere do you create for yourself to mellow out, become introspective, and, if you open up a little more, get inspired to create something?
In the working world there’s little time to get inspired about anything. Whether it’s being home with your kids or working in an office or serving customers, there’s not a lot of inspiration time. And in that precious few hours/minutes that you do have, how can you choose? Read a book? Sketch a drawing? Embroider a few stitches?
Sometimes it’s just easier to turn on the TV and be numbed by the nonsense you find there.
Now that I’m retired I find my quietest inspirational moments in the morning. A cup of coffee, the dogs fed and content, hubby doing whatever someplace else, I look out the window at the bird feeder and open up my soul. One artist I’ve grown fond of is an artist on You Tube named Ophelia Wilde who plays instrumental piano, whimsical tunes with fun magical titles like “A Playlist for Living in a Little Cottage Together With Your Cat.”
She’s imaginary, too. Perfect.
Sometimes I think about some art I want to create; sometimes I think about my next blog. Sometimes I go on my laptop and find new unique artists.
Sometimes I just sit and look out the window.
I believe there is inspiration around us wherever we look. We just have to be in the right state of mind to absorb it. My inspirational times don’t last long, as reality has a way of interrupting even when you’re in the Zen.
But at least I know I have inspirational times, and strive to return to them when I can.
Fight the murky cloudy Monday blahs and find yours, too.
Humoring the Goddess 
Thanks!! 😍❤️
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It’s more difficult for me with the short dreary, wet, raw DARK days. I have SAD, so my energy wanes in this weather. Blah. Sometimes I just close the everything up and turn on all the lights and make it bright. I’m always ready to do things in the light. Winter drags me down. I get inspired by everything. LOL But sometimes I’m just to flat and tired, in the darkness, to do anything.
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I so get that! Daylight hours are shorter — it’s dark by 5pm! I much prefer dark at 8:30pm. I can only take the murky, misty twilight-y thing for a short period of time. I get a different vibe from sunlight — definitely! And with peppy music and a few art supplies, I can continue creating in house light, too! But the Winter Blahs ARE real. Don’t give up!
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Oh I’ve been retired for ten years and have worked it out. I’ve written 6 books since then. But I do need people to inspire me. After going for a coffee with a friend or chatting on the phone with my daughter, I am so full of ideas. I also retired and moved to Spain where I didn’t know anyone! But I’ve made some new friends and keep in touch with the ones I left behind. I also got two dogs who I have great conversations with and they get me out walking and playing with them outside. Life is good.
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You have made the best wherever you’ve been. I have great conversations with my dogs, too! And you know how to find creativity anywhere. Maybe painting or knitting is in your future! I only do what I can do, which sometimes is nothing. Those days I look for art for my galleries. Hey! Maybe THATS an idea! Start some kind of creative blog! I’ll help push you out there….
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I envy you that you have found this inspirational peace … this Zen. It sounds lovely and conducive to creativity.
I grew up with four siblings. Lots of noise in the house at all times. When I wanted to read or do homework, I had to tune it out. To this day, I don’t enjoy silence. I never have the television on during the day, but I usually have music on. And not the lovely, classical type. Mine is Top 40 and loud.
And that’s how I write. With all that noise. That’s how I concentrate, and my ideas and stories come to me – out of the chaos.
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As you will see in tomorrow’s blog, I do a lot of work to music just like that! Sometimes I put jabber on in the background just so there is noise in the house. Sometimes it’s dark academia music (something I just discovered), sometimes it’s pop dance music, sometimes it’s Kickstart My Heart by Motley Crue. I love the way you write! And I’m so glad you share your writing with others.
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Monday always was my favorite day when I was still working. I loved Mondays, the husband off the work, the kids off to school, so I could start working on my clients, I was a beautician and I loved my work. What inspires me is nature and other peoples work of art, but I do not want to copy other peoples work. What I need is “the right state of mind” and I can’t find it.
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I so hear you. While I was working I, too, couldn’t quite find my way down the creative path. Everything seemed alluring, but time and concentration were in short supply. That’s when I started writing. I have penned several novels (none every published) that kept me psyched up all the time. I wrote when I could and did research when I only had a small period of time. This “hunger” for time and to be creative helped me to find the right state of mind. As my kids got older I found more and more time. So many times in my life I’d go to an art fair or craft show and say “Oh…I can make that!” only to never think of it again. So I finally decided to start making Angel Tears (a suncatcher thingy on fishing line) and now I’m drawing. Start slow, my friend. Never give up. Start slow! And let me know every step you take!
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I will. But I have always so much to do, I had mt back broken when I was 33 and ever since I live with pain 24/7, I can do my homework and garden but I have to rest my back very often cos if I don’t the pain will be worse for the next 3 days. I have osteoartritis everywhere…so my work is slow. I just need longer days lol!
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Im so sorry about your back. And getting older doesn’t help either. I ache all over. You take such beautiful photographs — do you still do that? I find it hard to sit in one position too long. So as much as it bugs me I learn to do a little at a time. Slow and steady, they say. And do you know how many times I have asked for maybe 34 hours in a day instead of 24??
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Well 34 hours a day would be great ! I know all about aching all over your body, that is part of getting old for most of us. I have been working with many old to very old people and most of them told me it is not worth living till you are 100 years old or older as they have too much pain and on top of it when you get really old you loose all your friends and family on the way. I did however meet a few old ladies (90 +) who could work all day, even on a ladder, driving a car and so much more but only very few.
As you must have noticed I don’t make a lot of pictures at the moment as I can’t walk for long, so I can’t visit big gardens, and on holiday too there is little I can do, we drive arround until we see something interesting but often the car parking is too far from what there is to see or too difficult to reach. My husband checks it for me first as he can still walk long distances, so he goes first to see how far and how difficult the route is. On top of it we have been having rainy weather for almost 13 months in a row , we got more than normal and I prefer to take pictures when the sun is shining. But I hope it will be better next year, if there is more sun I can always drive to the arboretum in the next village, it is not really huge and there are benches everywhere, that helps when I can sit dow for a few minutes.
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it is not really huge and there are benches everywhere, that helps when I can sit dow for a few minutes. That’s how I got through Paris and Rome and Florence. Took longer, but wouldn’t have it any other way. Good luck and love, my friend.
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Same to you dear Claudia.
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I don’t know what has happened to WordPress. I can’t seem to find Reader and leave comments on other people’s posts.
If I try to put a like on Subscribers’ posts, ot rejects them and talks about subscriptions. It hs thoroughly confused me and made me lose contact with hundreds of followers. They keep coming on to my site and being generous and I can’t reciprocate, for some reason! So, I am not being mean. Just out of my depth.
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Oh.. I don’t think you’re out of your depth. The world of the Internet makes ALL of us swimming forever in the ocean! I am a scatterbrain when it comes to expanding my online world. I’m not a WordPress guru, but a couple of ideas — maybe go to general settings and make sure your settings are on public. Also, under settings/discussions/Verbum, check ‘let visitors use a WordPress.com or Facebook account to comment.’ I hope you find your way around this mess — I can see you’re a bundle of inspiration waiting to happen!
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thank you for the reminder
I needed to be inspired
by the reminder to let inspiration
enter my day every morning
as I sit in my rocker up in my sanctuary
and pray for God’s guidance
be inspired by the stillness
be inspired by blogs like yours
be inspired to read and apply
the messages from friends
the Word of God
the gentle nudges from the Holy Spirit
be inspired to write in my journal
be inspired to respond to folks like you
Thank you for the inspiration!
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No .. thank YOU for the inspiration! I sometimes leave the Holy Spirit on the sidelines, but perhaps that is where inspiration and creativity come from. I love your blogs and feel stronger when I read them too. Let’s keep this magic going!
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Yes, let’s do! 👌🏽 Thanks so much!!
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I get inspired by talking to people, reading blog posts and reading books. I actually got inspired at work and found retirement hard. I need communication and people to inspire me. Blogs have filled that gap to a point. Thanks for being here and inspiring me. xo
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Oh darling! Don’t let retirement be a burden! Sit still and let the inspiration come to YOU. Creativity comes in sooooo many ways! Knitting. Painting. Diamond art. Painting ceramics. And it doesn’t cost much at all! I’m in the middle of an art project that takes only colored pencils, a pack of glitter gel pens, a ruler and a sketch pad. Once you get started you will become an addict. Trust me. Do let me know how the world opens up to you.
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my day starts at 4am … I have a couple hours before i go to work, my dream job of being a propagator, the world is almost still and quiet, I can actually think with no outside noise, no hurrying to finish something, which gives me the chance to be inspired as i wander in mind and and outside….
i see things that i have set aside, and pick up to work on, if i choose. i may read with my coffee,
even setting things right in the house i get inspired to redo or begin a project for the week ahead.
I agree with you, inspiration is all around us, and yes i know that interruption time too , but at work among all the flowers, foliage, all plants i propagate, i see a new section of garden :).
I like your post here, i am glad i have made time to wander into cyberspace this morning to land here for a moment. Thank you for the reminder of how important inspiration is in our world.
Take care You matter
Blessings
mary
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Your words are proof there is inspiration everywhere. It’s not always gigantic and phenomenal — sometimes inspiration is something small and personal. Like your response to me. I hope we keep sharing each other’s magic! Your day sounds wonderful to me!
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