inspiration

Giving Through Creation

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Have you ever read something and felt alive, inspired?  Have you listen to music that has captured your soul, and touch every fiber of your heart?  Read a poem or looked at a painting that transported you to unexplained heights?  All these are examples of creations.  We are human, but also spiritual, and the need to create is embedded in us; it is our spiritual nature.  We give to others thru our creativity, we create to inspire, to please, to entertain, to love …

My spiritual path has been one of investigation and of finding the divine thru a non traditional approach.  In order to find true spirituality, I had to put aside everything that I have learned about it, and start fresh, with the intention of finding my true spiritual path.  It has not been easy, it still is not; I keep learning every day.

We all have a purpose, it is up to us to find it.  However, there is creativity on each one of us.  Divinely inspired I have learned that creation is like water, it gives life; it is the fountain of the spirit – the myrrh of the soul, the soul’s path to spiritual closeness.  It is contentment and happiness for our souls, and we can find it by being happy where we are, by listening, and be perceptive to our spiritual awareness.  When we feel happy where we are and we make happiness an internal issue, separate from outside circumstances, we are receptive to the divine and we fuel the creative forces within our soul.  This is how we give to others and we bless our surroundings with our soul’s creations.  By giving back we thank the Great Creator.

And how would a Creator see its creation?  How do we feel when we create something that we are so proud of?  In the eyes of God all his children are good, in the eyes of the man, the children are limited by the limits they establish themselves.  To God, there are no limits, and his children are precious – more precious than the treasures of the Universe.  When we give back through creation, we are acting thru the same love that made us.

Doing Things Lovingly

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Life has its ups and downs.  Many times we run through life at fast speeds in our effort to get things done.  After all, it is a society of doers, of achievers, and doing the opposite would attract some frowns and judging, right?  Doing is good, but sometimes, our doing becomes robotic, lifeless, dutiful, and boring.  We don’t enjoy the things we once did because they have turned into stale routine.  We go through life as “zombie doers” without realizing that the magic has left our hands, and our hearts wish for excitement in our endeavors.  However, maybe the magic is still there, and what happens is that we have stopped doing things lovingly.

Doing things with love and passion is in every one of us.  It is up to us to enjoy each moment and dedicate attention to the task at hand – no matter how menial it seems to be.  Washing dishes by hand can be transforming when you start feeling the soapy water, the fruity floral scent of the dishwashing liquid, and hear the squeaky sound of a clean dish.  Somehow, this menial task becomes alive, engaging all your senses.

This is what doing things lovingly means – to enjoy the task at the moment, or to pay full attention to it, to be mindful for the duration of it, and to be thankful that you can do.

Slow Down

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Self made rainbow, made in home garden.

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Many times I find myself rushing thru the day, even when there is plenty of time.  I have found myself writing a mile a minute when I could simply slow down the keyboard speed and let my thoughts flow.  Why is this?  I used to be a “take my time, smell the roses” person.  Somehow, I ended up in a frantic speed that certainly does not make sense.  When I look at people around me as I run errands, I see myself, rushing, running – when there is plenty of time.  The other day, I slowed down a bit, I realized that I had missed a lot of colorful roses along the way, because I went by too fast to notice them.  One thing is for sure, as I slowed down, spirit started talking, inspiration began to flow, and life’s colors started to paint a beautiful picture. 

Slowing down might be one of the best things we do to tap into our inspiring source.  It makes you stop and look at things in a different speed, the eye shutter lets light in and suddenly colors appear fresh.  Today, I invite all you to slow down a bit, and take in the air, the picture, the beauty of life around you.   No matter what your circumstances might be, when you slow down, you are forced to see, to listen, to taste, to smell, and to use whatever senses you have.

Today’s Inspirational Picture

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It is October, the crisp air is making its presence and I become alive on this season – I love fall.  Today’s inspirational picture is a chubby spider.  After all, October makes me think of Halloween, and Halloween makes me think of spiders.  Spiders are considered good luck in some cultures.  So get inspired and good luck to all aspiring writers out there!

Inspirational Image for Today

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Here is an image to inspire you to write a story, a poem, or whatever you’d like.  Sometimes, looking at a picture is just what it takes.  The following is today’s inspirational picture and a short sample of poetry I just wrote while looking at it for this post.

Blue moon of silver made

shining thru the popcorn sky

take my heart and breath away

my desires bring to life.

Inspiration by Image

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Ever felt uninspired to write?  I am sure you have; I have too.  Sometimes, all it takes is a little visual stimulation.  Look at an image or picture in front of you and think of a story, or a poem, relating it to the image.  Let your imagination run free and see where it lands you.  Here is an image to start.  However, the world around you is an image, and if you do not have the visual sense and are blind, then your ears become your eyes – sound becomes a story.

Today’s inspirational picture is

The Simple Life

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Simple Abundance – A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach

Although this book has been around for a while now (1995) it wasn’t until recently that I got to read it.  Immediately I loved it.  I have to admit that it has sat in my library for a year, maybe two; I just did not have enough time to get to it – but it kept calling me.  Finally, I listened and read it.  I did not read it as intended, one chapter a day, instead I read it until my eyes became blurry, and then came back for more day after day. 

I recommend this book to anyone that is in the path of a simple life and needs inspiration.  Its principles are even more true more than a decade later.  If you are in search of simplicity and abundance, you will enjoy this jewel.

Writer’s Wisdom 100

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Are your challenges for writing excuses?

Here it is the 100 post of the Writer’s Wisdom series.  It has been my joy to write them and I hope that you have enjoyed them too.  I chose this topic for this post because we make hundreds of excuses about our writing.  Sometimes, we disguise them and call them challenges.  We all have real challenges, however when we use excuses as challenges, we hurt ourselves and our work.  This applies to writing, but also, to everything in our lives.

Are we using our dated computer as an excuse?  Our lack of control over the assignments we take?  The book that won’t write itself because the Muse seems to be on strike?  Or maybe it is the neighbor that plays loud music and does not let you focus? – (earplugs do exist).

Whatever our challenges are, we should look at them as opportunities to grow in our craft and not as excuses.  Whatever our excuses are, we should not dress them in “challenge attire,” but face them instead.

Everyone has challenges, every one of us makes excuses at one point in our lives; it is what we do with them that will hinder or promote our growth.

Happy Writing!

Writer’s Wisdom 99

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Establishing the Identity of a Character

Characters give life to a novel.  How is that possible?  Characters are so powerful that readers identify with them, love them, hate them, dream of them, and can’t have enough of them.  How is that possible?

This is possible because characters have an identity and readers know that.  They have a name, particularities, character traits, and a distinct personality.  They have likes, dislikes, things they love and hate, challenges of their own, triumphs and battles, insecurities … – they are like the people who read them; they just are.

For a character to feel real it is important to establish his/her identity throughout the story.

Writer’s Wisdom 98

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Using Real Life as Inspiration

Ever felt like there is no more inspiration; like the well has run dry and your Muse ran away?  Whether you are working on a short story, a novel, a poem, or a blog post, inspiration is right there – in real life.  Think of news clips, bits of conversations that leak around you as you go about your daily routine, images of people at a distance that are without sound but rich in gestures and body movement – all that is inspiration, and it is free.  Use it, it is there for the taking; it is there to inspire you and make your mind awake, but only when you pay attention and are mindful of your surroundings.

So, when uninspired, open your senses, awake your Muse.