What if Inspiration Was a Living Being?

As you may or may not know, this year has been rough for me and my family. Finding inpiration while in a state of perpetual stress is not easy! This is why you haven’t seen much on my Instagram lately. But I did have some success with my creativity lately.

I attribute this reamergence to two different books – one that I have recently read and one that I am currently reading. The first was “Grimoire Girl: Creating an Inheritance of Magic and Mischief” by Hilarie Burton Morgan. To me, her idea of magic was more like growth mindset, affirmations, and surrounding yourself with things you love. It wasn’t literal magic - in my opinion. One thing she talks about is creating your own oracle cards with quotes, affirmations, and words of wisdom that mean something to you. Then, you can pull from your personally created deck each day to let one of them guide your day. I thought this sounded like a fun project and I am all about some growth mindset and affirmations. Then, I though of the multiplication flash cards I had a in a pile to get rid of. These would be perfect to repurpose for this project!

I got started with just playing around with decortating the cards with no words in mind. After I finished my first one, I just threw on a quote that I had been hanging onto.

But now, I’m listening to the book “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear” by Elizabeth Gilbert. I am enjoying this book so much that I stopped about two hours in and started from the beginning again to take notes. This book was recommended by several artists I follow. She believes that inspiration is a living thing that seeks out individuals to collaborate with. If you sit with an idea too long, the inspiration may decide to leave and seek someone else to work with. I love this idea! It may sound a little “woo,” but it sounds a bit like manifestation to me. Elizabeth states in her book that she believes creativity / inspiration is magically and magic in the true sence of the word. In my opinion it is cognitive distonance. That just means your brain looks for what you tell it to. Kind of like when you buy a new car, and all of a sudden you see that same model EVERYWHERE. It just because your brain is now extra familar with that object and so it like to recognize it when it sees it. I think the same is true for manifestion. When you tell yourself over and over that some will come true, your brain goes to work on how to make that happen. It is not magical, but definitely feels like it.

Anyway, for that purpose I choose to believe inpiration is something that I need to invite in and I need to create inviting space for it. So, that is what inspired the second card. I imagine her (yes, she’s a her) as sort of a wisp floating around from person to person. And I wrote my own affirmation to go with it. One of these such inspirations has already visited me and has asked to collaborate. Of course, I said YES! I can’t wait to show you what WE come up with.