Last night, I attended Pageant of the Masters, the art show in Laguna Beach that literally brings masterpieces of artwork to life by animating works by Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, Van Gogh and others. It’s a brilliant piece of work that explores some interesting questions about Inspiration and Creativity.

Whatever you’re creating in your life at the moment, whether it’s a business, a family, or work of art, how can it be an “inspired” work?

Where does Inspiration come from?

Does it come from within? Or does it come from someplace else that we have to open ourselves to?

Maybe it’s both, a combination of the two.

“I invent nothing. I rediscover.” – Rodin

I used to think it was about opening oneself up to allow creational energy to flow through. That it really doesn’t originate from us. That we just have to “get enough of ourselves out of the way” to let creativity happen. But now, I’m not so sure about that. I think there’s more to the story.

Maybe it doesn’t exactly originate with us, but just like the process of lightning striking, it may need a conductor – some stream of energy from us that rises up from the earth to meet the lighting in order for the lightning bolt to actually strike. So like the lightning bolt, maybe we need to meet Inspiration half way. We may need to do “something” that puts us in a place to receive that which Spirit is attempting to bring through. But what is that something? Where does it come from? And how can we have greater access to it.

Where does Inspiration come from? – Is it in your coffee? As I take a sip of mine and ponder this question, I’m realizing that this newsletter is going to go out on a Monday morning. I mean, that’s the time when we have to be practical about life, right? That’s the time to “get to it”, to check the bank balances and see what needs to happen this week. Really, is that the time to be sending out a newsletter about Inspiration? Who has time for such questions? If you feel that you just need to “get things done”, then you might want to pay special attention to this next part.

“For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.”

- Van Gogh

Nicely said, Vincent. For my part, I can’t say anything with certainty either, but let me take a stab at it. I can only speak from my own experience, so please allow me to share the way that Inspiration has been flowing into me lately:

First, I find a stillpoint within myself.

For me, it’s becoming clear that in order for creation to happen, there must be some kind of void, a stillness for the creational energy to nest into. In meditation, if I am “the gap in between” the thoughts, then maybe that void is me and my thoughts ARE “creational energy”. That’s how important they are. But in order to create, there HAS to be the stillness first. If not, it’s just a hodge-podge, tangled mess of thoughts that won’t be able to create anything.

Second, (I can’t believe I’m trying to put this in a linear fashion by numbering these, but I figured it might help the reader. Actually, if I’ve discovered anything, it’s that creation is about being in the non-linear parts of yourself.) So THAT actually comes second: being in your senses and allowing your feelings to come forth. It’s breathing deeply into your belly and with an acute awareness, noticing.

Then, it’s bringing forth that which you notice. It’s writing it down, moving the pen or the brush, or speaking the word that is there to be spoken. It’s just speaking the truth. Or more accurately, being your own truth and then doing what comes naturally.

So what are you doing today to “plug in” to your own stream of inspiration and creativity that is flowing to you?

What’s in the way of it? What noise do you need to quiet or what can you bring back into balance for yourself so that your creativity can “happen”?