Writers are often asked where so do you get your ideas? What inspires
you?
Answer - inspiration is everywhere. You may say that’s a cop-out
answer, but I have heard countless writers say inspiration is everywhere. I
admit, there was a time I felt it was a cliché until I learned to look at the
world with the right attitude. When I opened my heart to the world, inspiration
was everywhere.
I am inspired by what I see. A box marked return to sender or an old rusty tin
can discovered in the tall grass is inspiring. Both of those hold endless
possibilities – why was the box returned? Was it refused by a former lover? And
who dropped that old can? How long has it been there?
I am inspired by what I hear. Nothing sounds sweeter than the music of the
forest at night; a symphony of sounds that goes on all night long. Crickets
chirping, owls hooting, the wind whispering through the trees stirs your soul!
And don’t forget the melody all of those sounds you can’t identify. Have you
ever heard a sudden burst of laughter or a deluge of tears? Did it make you
wonder why the sudden laughter or tears?
I am inspired by smells. The aroma of an apple pie baking can stir my
creative juices and suddenly, I am creating a character sitting in a warm cozy
kitchen, waiting to eat that pie, or I am taken back to my childhood and I am
the person waiting for the pie to come out of the oven. A whiff of perfume or
the scent of a flower can contain many secrets. Have you ever caught a scent on
the wind and wondered what it was?
I am inspired by touch. A dog’s wet nose nudging my hand and the velvety
softness of his fur slipping through my fingers tells me a story of the miles
he’s run and played, the holes he’s dug, and the critters he’s chased. When you
touch an infant’s skin, it leaves the memory of its softness imprinted on your fingertips
forever. Have you ever let your fingertips tell you a story?
I am inspired by taste. Grandma’s chicken and dumplings or a scoop of my
favorite ice cream evokes a myriad of memories. All I have to do is listen. The
sweet taste of your lover’s lips or the bitter taste of your own tears can move
you to words flowing down the page. Have you ever tasted fear? Happiness?
Inspiration
is everywhere. We
just have to open our hearts and our minds to find it. Many years ago, before I
ever dreamed of being a writer, I saw this quote on a professor’s door while I was
wandering the halls of a building, its name long forgotten, at Virginia
Commonwealth University. At the time, I was a new teacher and taking a summer
workshop. I don’t remember much about that workshop, but I never forgot that
quote. I embraced it and have read it millions of times over the years. It
taught me a new way to look at life, and it taught me that inspiration is,
indeed, everywhere.
Attitude
to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than
education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than
what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance,
giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home. The
remarkable is you have a choice every day regarding the attitude you will
embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact
that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The
only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our
attitude. I am convinced that life is ten percent what happens to me and ninety
percent how I react to it. And so it is with you. You are in charge of your
attitude. - Charles R. Swindoll
