It is easy to find "little-i" inspiration. The web is replete with quotes and other detritus designed to encourage us, and some inevitably stick the landing.
But "big-I" inspiration is different. For some it comes from a Mozart aria. Or a sunrise over the the bay. Or a passage from a favorite book. Or a Morel. Or a Thoroughbred or Irish Hunter. Or old Scotch.
The right Inspiration can reboot us. It can transfix us and take us away from our day-to-day concerns. It can even leave us refreshed and ready to take on new challenges.
So my question for you is, what is your source of ("big-I") Inspiration?
I'll just say inspiration — or a solution — usually comes from not thinking much at all about a problem/project/whatever after getting familiar with the relevant boundary factors. Basically, think about it without thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteSounds weird, I know, but it works for me.
Oh this one is easy. It's these early mornings, where it is still dark at 7 am and the temps are in the low 50s (low 40s this weekend!!!!) that inspire me. We've made it through the heat and humidity. We've kept the flowers going through the bugs, deer, and scorching sun. The asters are getting ready to burst. Yes, this season is my inspiration. This time of year is what I dream of and long for when all the rest seems too intense. This time. This place. This season. My Inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI very much agree, and you said it brilliantly.
DeleteBeautiful! I so agree.
DeleteBeautiful! Plus trumpet concertos!
DeleteThis post was my inspiration! Thank you🙏🏻
ReplyDeleteBeing in or near nature both inspires and calms me.
ReplyDeleteI can draw inspiration from many sources, but helping others, not just with tangible help but also with attentive and understanding listening, tops the list.
ReplyDeleteObserving competency in action.
ReplyDeleteIt's always Reading To the Lighthouse. That book makes me soar.
ReplyDeleteWalking along or just sitting and staring at a stormy ocean or listening to it crashing against the rocks at night.
ReplyDeleteI agree, just taking the time. Doing the interests I enjoy and also the things that need doing. They are all rewarding.
DeletePictures of gilded age mansions in Manhattan.
ReplyDeleteA clear view of the night sky at sea puts all things in perspective.
ReplyDeleteThoughts spring up on hikes, or on a brisk walk under a canopy of trees. They’re often put to paper in the large lounge of a close by inn. Fireplace blazing. A cafe calva close at hand. People moving about; up from a table, sitting down at a table, chatting. Call it “the Montparnasse syndrome.” The ease of concentration in this not too large, off and on noisy crowd, perhaps comes from being the eldest in a large family. The house, according to my mother, was always as “busy as Grand Central.”
ReplyDeleteRachel Carson’s beautiful writing- especially about preserving children’s sense of wonder and awe!
ReplyDeleteThinking back to a different, less complicated time.
ReplyDeleteArt and books. Something beautifully and/or thoughtfully made. When kindness and love are shown, especially when the situation is challenging.
ReplyDeleteWhen I ski downhill, I completely 'disconnect' and completely clear my brain...
ReplyDeleteDitto. One really - really - has to absolutely concentrate while sliding down the side of a mountain at 30 mph. It’s much more of a disconnect than trying to fool a six inch fish, or chasing a little white ball.
DeleteCross-country skier here, but yes. Same thing. Especially on long, difficult climbs and the rapid, winding downhills at about 18-25 degrees Fahrenheit on freshly groomed trails. Nothing like it.
DeleteWeather
ReplyDeleteThe sound of the old locomotive on the siding at the end of my property.
ReplyDeleteStarling murmurations
ReplyDeleteA new sermon in an old church
ReplyDeleteThey're lovely, but...why so many? I also noted the voluminous quantities of button-down shirts and corduroy pants. Just curious.
ReplyDeleteI thought I left this comment on your post regarding your collection of sweaters. Anyway, I do enjoy your blog very much. :)
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