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Pondering: A Cup Full of Inspiration

Inspiration, like creativity, is something unique to each of us and yet we are similar enough to share ideas. It used to be when people were baking at home and they ran short of sugar, they would run next door to borrow a cup. Anyone else remember being sent to the neighbor's house with a cup in your hand?

Today, in our digital world of connection, we are sharing concepts, details of our lives and photos.

Per dictionary.com, inspiration is the stimulation of ideas to special or unusual activities or creativity. Sign me up for that!

“Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee and just as hard to sleep after.” Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea

To me, people are the most inspiring sources. Talking with family and friends stimulates ideas and gets the wheels spinning for me. Nothing makes me happier than when someone says to me that I inspired them to do something or write something.

Power tip: Take a second to write down your brain sparks so you can fully form the concept later. There is nothing worse than remembering that you had a fabulous idea and not remembering anything else about it.

“The soul should always stand ajar. Ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.” – Emily Dickinson

A few other sources of inspiration to me:
1. Reading
2. Music
3. Pinterest
4. My own notes from previous ideas
5. Movies or television shows
6. Nature

I am still a big fan of a sharpie and a legal pad to write down my ideas but I also have several digital formats, like Evernote, Google documents and the notes app on my iPhone and iPad to keep things for when I need them. I also use my phone to take pictures of points of inspiration to use for future reference. How do you capture your ideas?

Genevieve Gorder, of HGTV, uses favorite pieces of jewelry or unique items she finds when she travels for color inspiration for room design.

Power tip: Don't forget to borrow inspiration from other unrelated things that you like.

Where will you get your next cup of inspiration?

Featured image found here via Creative Commons.Article by Peg Fitzpatrick

10 Comments

  1. Nothing inspires me more than reading what other people have to say. There’s so many interesting minds in the world! I agree completely with your Anne Morrow Lindbergh quote. To be that stimulated is such a gift.

  2. You rock Peg – that Gift from the Sea sits on my coffee table to remind me of how lucky I am to live near the Gulf, which inspires me daily. So do you and the entire 12most team you put together.

  3. I get inspired by must about EVERY person I meet – and I mean “meet” because everyone has a story and I try to reach out to people when I’m in lines, anywhere really. Always something there. Try it, you’ll like it! I promise! Embarrasses the heck out of my kids though! HA!

    1.  @BruceSallan I talk to people everywhere too! My husband is sure that I met everyone at Disney World on our first trip. I got so many great tips from more seasoned Disney people and it made waiting in line go so much faster!
       
      This last trip I met the most HILARIOUS couple ever in the line to met the Fairy Godmother at Cinderella’s castle. I laughed all day about their funny conversation in line. I am totally a people person too Bruce!

  4. One of the hardest things about teaching young writers: they don’t know how to see the world as a source of inspiration. They feel they don’t have anything to write about.
     
    Once they get over that, the whole world opens up for them. I’ll be using your post in my summer school high school class.
     
    Thanks!
    Janet | expateducator.com

    1. That is awesome! I think that young writers have so much to say and it is so interesting to get perspectives from people of all ages and experience levels.

      Thanks for your thoughts!

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