Inspiration – Marc Chagall. 1963. Wikioo.

“Inspiration follows aspiration.”

Rabindranath Tagore

What inspires you? What recharges your batteries, brings you excitement, uplifts you, stimulates your creativity, floats your boat?

Whatever our work or circumstances, we all need to feel inspired in order to really be alive, to follow our own personal star.

In Tagore’s quotation above, he emphasises the fact that we need aspiration first, which means that we must really want to gain inspiration, we must have ambition, desire and a longing to be uplifted and stimulated creatively.

We can increase the likelihood of feeling inspired by being motivated and prepared, and by putting ourselves in situations likely to influence us and our ways of thinking.

The word inspiration is derived from the Latin inspirare, which means to inhale, or breathe in. Originally, the word was used to convey the idea that inspiration in human beings was inhaled  from the divine, from the mystical, a gift from the gods.

Its meaning expanded as language changed over time, to refer to any kind of uplift or stimulation, especially emotional and creative.

Constant Montald .1907. Fountain of Inspiration. Wikimedia Commons

“All of us need to be in touch with a mysterious, tantalizing source of inspiration that teases our sense of wonder and goads us on to life’s next adventure.”

 Rob Brezsny

George Roux – Spirit, 1885. Wikimedia Commons

“Respond to every call that excites your spirit.”

Rumi

What excites your ‘spirit?’ What do you love?

Whether it is poetry, literature, theatre, sport, science, writing, music, art, or whatever else, it is important to let yourself be open to what fascinates and illuminates your soul.

What are you really passionate about? What makes you feel truly exhilarated? Take some time to think about this, because, as Van Gogh says, ‘therein lies the true strength.’

The Cafe Terrace on the Place du Forum (Cafe Terrace at night) 1888. Vincent Van Gogh. Wikioo

“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.”

Vincent Van Gogh

Identifying your own personal passions is thus crucially important, and the more you have, the better!

• The importance of education and being inspired by others

I am Still Learning – Francisco De Goya. 1828. Wikioo

“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”

Albert Einstein.

“There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.”

Krishnamurti

Learning is a wonderful way of awakening and inspiring the spirit within us, to bring out and enhance our innate talents. 

“To me education is a leading out of what is already there in the pupil’s soul. To Miss Mackay it is a putting in of something that is not there, and that is not what I call education. I call it intrusion.”

Muriel Spark

To be truly inspired, to really learn, as the quotation says, we require teachers who do not ‘intrude’ into our world, but gently draw out and nurture our own potential, in an atmosphere of interest, encouragement and enthusiasm.

Education such as this really helps us to make a difference. Being with others in a learning situation, at whatever age, can lift our spirits and our mood and give us an inspirational feeling of shared understanding and companionship.

Discovering new ideas, concepts, thoughts and theories can be exciting and stimulating, lighting a flame inside that can last forever. It does not matter what it is that we study, as long as we are inspired by it.

“Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible.”

Richard Feynman

The educator’s job is to imbue children with enthusiasm for new learning that will last a lifetime. Then they will be inspired and motivated to continue their education long after the formal parts are over.

Maintaining an enthusiastic approach to lifelong learning will reap many rewards, both for ourselves and our children. Modelling this energetic attitude, and showing interest in what is around us, is the surest way to inspire others, too. 

If we keep a spirit of enquiry throughout our lives, it will mean that we are constantly learning, whether formally, from books, travel, or from being amongst others in our world.

“The important thing is not to stop questioning; curiosity has its own reason for existing.”

Albert Einstein.

The world has so much to offer us in terms of knowledge and it is, indeed, a lifetime’s task to assimilate as much as we can along the way.

Other people’s passions can be infectious, as they delight in their own special skills, or enjoy the riches that the world has to offer them.

Alexei Kuzmich. Inspiration. 1985. Wikimedia Commons

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”

Albert Schweitzer

It is helpful to be with such people who have passion and interest, who can, time and again, ‘relight our fire.’

“I need, sometimes, individuals to spark an idea so that I can take off running.”

Meek Mill

Such creative energy is very easy to  internalise and integrate into our selves, and it tends to boost our mood, making us feel uplifted. When we are enthusiastic, we feel stimulated, confident, creative, motivated. These are exciting, animated feelings, ones that can propel us eagerly onwards and upwards, making them our own, and transforming them into something new.

People we admire, those who are experienced in life and have developed their own special skills, can inspire us to discover and utilise our own authentic talents. They can help us to become better and better people as we begin to recognise our natural abilities… 

“Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Muse Inspiring the Poet. Henri Rousseau. 1909. Wikimedia Commons.

“I think people inspire me the most. If I meet a person who is incredibly complex, and all of a sudden, I start thinking in rhymes, that person could be a muse.”

Taylor Swift

• Silence, solitude, surroundings…

The Silent Lake – Thomas Thompson.1913. Wikioo

    “Silence is an empty space. Space is the home of the awakened mind.”

     Buddha

Many writers, artists, poets need silence in order to be able to produce good work; the lack of external noise means they can allow themselves to remain in a world of concentrated, uninterrupted, inspirational creativity.

Some of us, however, need to be amongst others to be creative, still getting lost in our own work and our own world, but without being distracted by the familiar sounds and pressures of home.

The Café (Café Conte, London) –  1938. Frank Graham Bell

“The coffee shop air swirls with aromatic dreams, little wonder it is a place we writers are drawn to.”

Angela Abraham, @daisydescriptionari

The familiar hum of cafe conversation may be an aid to creativity for some; this provides a kind of reassuring, anonymous peace, with the soothing murmur of voices as a background. What is needed is a place where the mind can freely wander and be imaginative, undisturbed by the people around us…. with regular supplies of coffee.

Others, however, very much need to be alone, to experience the inspiration of solitude.

“The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.”

Albert Einstein

Many people are more productive in solitude; it can spark their creative side more easily. Time alone, with our own thoughts, uninterrupted by externals, can, indeed, be inspiring. In solitude, we can feel more in contact with the world and with the universe, perhaps making a very deep connection, intensified by our aloneness.

Some creative people speak of the importance of inspirational surroundings. Allowing ourselves to have beautiful surroundings can mean we are more open to inspiration, reflection and creativity.

Landscape with Trees and Figures – Jean Baptiste Armand Guillaumin.1905. Wikioo

“What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives?”

 E.M. Forster

Being in nature can be a great source of inspiration. Ancient trees are a fine example of the wonders in our natural world; they can be deeply inspiring to us. Their powerful spiritual quality has inspired writers, artists and poets for centuries. At the same time, the trees maintain their grounded earthiness.

If we think about it, their combination of both rootedness and spirituality is one that surely can be an inspiration and an example to us humans. We only need, as Forster says, to allow their influence  to “enter into our daily lives.”

• Inspiring others

“You have to find what a sparks a light in you so that you in your own way can illuminate the world.”

Oprah Winfrey

When we have that spark of life-energy inside us, we can inspire other people. We really can ‘spread the light.’ 

Esme Dancing – Beatrice Offor. 1917. Wikioo.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

 Renee Swope

Aliveness and enthusiasm are highly transmittable. Being with another who is brimming with passion and vitality for an idea, a cause, work, a dance or performance, book, or work of art, is an experience that can be easily absorbed and assimilated into the self.

It is helpful to be in the company of people who are animated by what they do and are willing to share their feelings, ideas and passions.

Candles – Gerhard Richter. 1982. Oil on canvas. Wikioo

“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it.”

 Margaret Fuller

However, before we can inspire others, we need to work on ourselves, to become authentic and to be open to what is going on inside us. We need to be able to face our dark side, to acknowledge this, and not be ashamed of it. This is an inspirational model for others.

“In a futile attempt to erase our past, we deprive the community of our healing gift. If we conceal our wounds out of fear and shame, our inner darkness can neither be illuminated nor become a light for others.”

Brennan Manning

Stars – Maria Primachenko. 1978. Wikioo

“The stars of the night inspire you; and then you write poetry and inspire others; this time others create new things with the inspiration they get from you! You see, thousands of beautiful things are created with a simple inspiration!”

Mehmet Murat ildan

© Linda Berman