by Elizabeth Venart
What is inspiration? Is the experience
universal – or personal? How important is inspiration in achieving our goals?
In experiencing happiness or satisfaction in our lives? Is it possible to seek
out inspiration – or must we wait patiently for it to simply “happen”? I’ve
been thinking about these questions over the past few months, and, in my
curiosity, I asked colleagues and friends for input, re-read favorite authors,
and searched online for recent
writings on the topic. I will share with you some of what I discovered and
invite you to consider your own answers to these questions . . . and maybe
discover some new questions of your own.
First, what do we
mean by “inspiration”?
Inspiration can bring profound shifts to how we perceive
ourselves, the world around us, and our sense of what is possible – and is felt
physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In her book Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert describes universal physical and
emotional signals of inspiration as “the chills up the arms, the hair standing
up on the back of the neck, the nervous stomach, the buzzy thoughts, that
feeling of falling into love or obsession.” New York Times columnist David
Brooks describes inspiration as moments when “time disappears or alters
its pace.” When
I’m inspired, I feel emotionally open, happier, and grateful, more connected to
something larger than myself, more motivated to take action, to make a
difference. I also experience a feeling of spaciousness in my body: my breath
deepens, the tension in my body fades, I relax, my eyes brighten, a smile
crosses my face. Inspiration clears the fog and debris from my thinking and the
“stuckness” from my body. The
experience is deeply personal. As Lynn Doer, a writer, traveler, and volunteer
at several local nonprofits, said, “Defining inspiration is as
elusive as holding water in your hand, it happens for an instant; you know what
it feels like but it is hard to show to someone else.”
What is the
relationship between inspiration and motivation?
Inspiration seems to be the intersection of awe, emotional
resonance, and a strengthened internal motivation to create or act.
Inspiration provokes an uplifting surge in energy and enhances our sense of
capability in taking meaningful action. Doerr described inspiration as “the divine universe
whispering to you to take action.” When the energy of inspiration fills her, she feels as if she will burst if she
doesn’t heed the invitation to act.
What inspires
you?
The experience of
being inspired is described in similar ways by people all over the world. However,
what inspires each individual – and
how they answer the call once inspired – is absolutely unique. What inspires you? A walk in the woods?
The story of perseverance and triumph in the face of adversity? Watching a documentary
in which someone ventured outside the expected to a new discovery, a new
understanding or scientific advancement no one dreamed possible? There are
unlimited invitations to awaken our eyes, hearts, and minds to the vast repository
of ideas and insights yet to be imagined. What calls to you? Eudora Welty wrote: “The events in our lives happen in a sequence in time,
but in their significance to ourselves, they find their own order. . [in a]
continuous thread of revelation.” We are all in the process of discovering . .
. ourselves, the world around us, and our own meaning and significance.
Is it possible
that depression is the absence of inspiration? And, if so, can inspiration be
sought as a balm when we struggle?
Can we use our
past experiences as a kind of personal compass, helping to guide us at times
when our mood or outlook feels bleak or blah? Reflecting back on moments when we did feel inspired, can we recreate
the conditions that paved the way for inspiration to appear? I don’t know.
Maybe. The possibility of that maybe
being a yes is enough for me. I’ll take the leap. I hope you’ll join
me.
