Creativity always needs a germ of an idea, some kind of combustion that ignites the imagination and gets the gears turning. Ignition can come from reading, exploration, socializing, traveling, or any number of other avenues. We call it “inspiration,” or if it is embodied in the form of another person, a “muse,” oftentimes treating this spark as if it were some mystical force. By labeling it this way, it’s easy to place ourselves in the passenger seat, at the mercy of the ebb and flow of a creative spark that’s beyond our control.
But it’s not. Every time we actively take a step forward into something new or engaging, we take the reins, drawing inspiration out and harnessing it. The spark flows into our being with every conscious, meditative breath we take in the woods on a beautiful, sunny day. It lights up our brain with every turned page of a gripping read. We feel it warm our hearts when we’re engaged in an exciting conversation with friends, family members, or colleagues. Creativity cements itself in our imaginations with every adventure we embark on, whether it’s across town or around the globe.
I'm writing this just a few days after my 36th birthday, having spent much of it with family, friends, and my wife. There’re never enough hours in the day to spend as much time as we would like with each of the individuals in our lives, but this year, I made a conscious effort to be in the moment with as many as I could. It didn’t matter what we did. WIth my mother, we made a fantastic dinner and saw a movie. With my father, we shared a Mexican dish I really wanted him to try. With friends, we caught up on all of life’s happenings the past several months and played a board game together, and with my wife, we embarked on an adventure in the city, starting with a trip to the museum and a late-night dinner at a British-themed pub.
In between the gaps, I thought about all of the connections I’ve made in my life, from those closest to me to colleagues, coworkers both new and old, fellow creators, and familiar names I chat with in Discord groups. Even the people I’ve interviewed for a fleeting 45 minutes have made long-lasting impacts. My life is rich in connections, and each one offers something unique and different that sparks joy, discussion, and thoughts I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
When it comes to creativity, it’s these connections that fuel me the most. Their energy, depth, and richness revs the engine of imagination, and I want to take every feeling and idea I’ve absorbed from these connections and harness them to build entire worlds.
As creatives, there’s a tendency to see ourselves as solitary writers, artists, etc., people who pluck ideas out of the ether and birth them from the recesses of our own imaginations. But that’s not really true. Whether we’re traveling, reading, binging television, or adventuring out in nature, we come across people. Their words, actions, and feelings leave impressions on us, and those impressions take root, influencing us. Some of these impressions burn an anger in us, but even moreso, there’s a love and joy that takes hold, that pushes us to spend hours, days, weeks at a time creating… something.
How long did it take you to complete your last project? And why did you spend so much time working on it?
Think about it. Draw the line from the ideas to where they came from and how they were inspired.
For me, it’s often been an outlet to share the love I feel from the people in my life. I have a hard time expressing how I feel verbally, but I can write. I can take all those emotions and tell them through a character, layering in style and adventure and a dreamscape ignited by some of my favorite pulp heroes. And when I find myself surrounded by people, as I was this past week, I realize how much love and admiration I have for them, how much I want to see them succeed, achieve happiness, and experience the wonders of life.
Dear creators, I want the same for you. Every time I see an artist or writer friend publish a story, a new art piece, or a book, it fuels me to keep at it. It’s inspiring to see others channel all those impressions and give back something beautiful out into the ether. Because those same works will, someday, leave an impression on someone else, igniting the gears and creating a new cycle with someone else.
By creating, we keep civilization turning, and we give hope to the future.