A new idea is a light that illuminates presences which

simply had no form for us before the light fell.

–Susanne K. Langer,

American writer & philosopher (1895-1985)

Thoughts on inspiration

Inspiration, which often comes to us quite unexpectedly, can be a catalyst that leads to a creation of a new form, a work of literary value, a sculpture, a painting, an architectural gem, a scientific or a commercial idea. A sudden inspiration can be the seed for communicating something of global significance.

Sometimes, it is worthwhile pondering the places, the settings, the objects or the people from which the inspiration originated so that we can return to those valuable sources again and again. Indeed for us, there are places that – and people who – have Creative Sparkability. They are often the igniters of our own desires to begin a new creation. So find your Home for Creative Sparkability.

Creating special environments

For me, my studio is such a home. From the moment I enter it, I feel its intrinsic Creative Sparkability. I immediately want to paint – and I invariably do. In fact, there are times when I purposely keep my hands behind my back to stop me from doing so because I have other responsibilities to which I first have to give my attention. Those special environments, be they indoors or outdoors, a room, a desk, a studio, a canvas on an easel, are all wonderful complements to our creative selves. They are our bridges to a tranquility in which we can begin to do whatever it is we are inspired to do.

 For Justgimious of THE WORLD OF GLIMPSE, creative sparkability came from simply sitting under his beloved Sagacity Bush deep within Lunaberry Forest.

Seating himself beneath its branches, he inhaled its clarifying aroma…

Then he began to make notes in his GLIMPSIBLE CHRONICLES.

Do you have your own Sagacity Bush under which you can sit and be propelled into your own creativity? Do you have an environment conducive to sparking your creativity be it in your home, your studio or a bench beneath a bush in your garden? It could simply be a particular couch in your house, a desk in your office, a comfortable rug or a swing on your porch. And if you don’t yet have that special place to create, perhaps you could begin to create your place of tranquility – that environment where your ideas seem to flow?

Transition to the creative state

Some people enter that state of tranquility almost instantaneously by the very act of beginning to create – an almost seamless transition. For others though, a more ritualized routine is needed before entering what often starts out for them as creative chaos before some order forms from the initial disorder. For me, as soon as I enter my studio, I can generally plunge into that transcending, energetic yet hazy ocean of creative ideas without any other pre-routines. My studio is my Sagacity Bush.

Sometimes though, I do require an additional bridge to tranquility in the form of a cup of black coffee and so I acknowledged my gratitude to this dependable beverage when I dedicated my book, HAVE YOU EVER HAD A HUNCH? The Importance of Creative Thinking, to black coffee. It also gave me much needed waking hours:

To black coffee, for allowing me the extra hours so necessary to complete this work …

 Whether it’s a beloved Sagacity Bush or black coffee – or whatever dependable routine you have to set yourself on your creative journey, you will need to have the ability to be receptive to your hunches because that receptivity will keep you creating and sharing your imaginative sparks with others, who in turn, might be inspired to create and share as well.