How can you tell the difference between inspiration and distraction in a world that offers so much of each? I wouldn’t think to advise you about anything that I haven’t thought about/struggled with myself, and this topic is no different. I am acutely aware of the fact that the line of separation can be pretty thin.

But I think there are some clear vectors of delineation.

What’s Interesting?

There is certainly no shortage of media to titillate and entertain. Moving images from elsewhere – once a strange luxury – are now available in real time and in color, from almost anywhere. From where I write this, I can see 14 people. Thirteen are enraptured in their “smart” devices, with an age range of about 8 to 70. This observation, however, provides no differentiation between distraction and inspiration.

Is it just the ubiquitous presence of the Internet that creates the dilemma? I think not. If you have a modicum (or more) of mindfulness, you know that any environment can provide endless wonder. The desert, a forest, a lakefront, an ocean beach. Even your dentist’s waiting room has items of interest if you have eyes to see it.

Interesting? Yes. A point of distinction between inspiration and distraction? Not necessarily; could be either.

We need to look further to find the difference.

Distraction Factors

What are the factors that allow distractions to, well, distract? They hold our attention, but as we have established, so do inspirations. No help there.

Ask yourself these questions:

“How do I feel when I’m engaged in said interesting thing? What do I think? Am I awake and engaged? Does this situation cause me to become aware of original thoughts and feelings?”

Or am I sleepily consuming whatever it is I am looking at/listening to? Am I merely a passerby on the road to the next dopamine hit?

When the thing that holds your interest becomes a situational hypnotic/sedative, you are distracted. When you lose track of time but then look up and think, “I need a nap,” you have been distracted.

Passive observation is the hallmark of distraction.

Relaxing? Maybe.

Inspirational? Definitely not.

Aspects of Inspiration

Now, imagine the same situation. The same media feed or movie or music or scenic vista.

This time, you notice that you feel energized, that you are focused – perhaps intently – on what is happening. Your mental status is one of arousal and interaction. You may even have a smile on your face.

You find that you want to walk faster, see more, do more. Your intent is to interact, not just consume.

And this interaction leaves you with the desire to write, to paint, to sing, to create.

Active engagement is the hallmark of inspiration.

John Muir (on my mind as I sit here next to Yosemite) said,

“We live in ‘creation’s dawn’. The morning stars still sing together, and the world, though made, is still being made and becoming more beautiful every day.”

Creators are inspired to create.

Inspiration moves you towards active engagement.

Inspiration vs. Distraction

How, then, are we to detect the difference?

Is it the situation? No. The selfsame situation – while interesting – can engender either distraction or inspiration. It would be an easy cliché to say that, “Social media is distraction and nature is the source of inspiration.”

But many times I have labored under the comfortable blanket of somnolent ennui when riding (or driving!) through a beautiful landscape.

Likewise, a song or movie or reel or even a commercial has proven to be a source of inspiration for music, articles, videos, even books.

The distinction, my creative friends, lies not in the situation – the source of interest – but instead in the mindset of the observer.

It is possible to transform one into the other. To awake from mindless distraction and extract inspiration from any given moment.

“What sorcery is this?” you may wonder. Let’s examine the possibilities, from the gross and mundane to the sublime.

Get Inspired

Here are some ideas to help you find inspiration:

Caffeine. Overwhelmingly the world’s most heavily consumed stimulant drug. This ancient elixir had fueled many a studio recording session, late night writing binge, video editing session. The banishment of cerebral adenosine has enabled myriad blogs, podcasts, reels and You Tube offerings . It got you through finals; it’ll help you create, amiright?

Rest. Even better than stimulant use is to not need chemical stimulation in the first place. Sleep. Sleep enough. Nap, if you have to (but not more than 45 minutes and not too late in the day lest sleep inertia befoul your intent). With the right combination of exercise and rest, you may not even need that caffeine fix. Heresy, I know. If you are like most creators, don’t despair of the java. Just don’t overdo it or you will be more fatigued tomorrow.

Intent. If you hold the intent to engage, interact and commune with your muse, almost any situation can bring inspiration. Every Sunday (that I’m in town and the roads are open), I drive through the Sierra Nevada mountains. Sometimes hundreds of miles. Each drive begins with the intent to be inspired and ends with a notebook (and camera) full of ideas.

Get outside. Preferably in a beautiful natural setting. If you can’t go there, just get outside anywhere and move. Not all who wander are lost, but most who wander in wonder are inspired.

Mindfulness. Meditate, ponder, journal, pray; do whatever you need to do to be in a receptive frame of mind. Remember and embrace gratitude. Similar to intent but infused with the ineffable, mindfulness has been the source of inspiration, of flow (to cop a concept from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi) that lasts. This one takes the most effort, but – in my experience, for me and my clients – yields the most fruit.

Of course, combinations of the above potentiate one another. Start your day well-rested and with mindfulness, then hit some caffeine and hold intent as you wander.

The trick is to hack your mindset such that fear, anxiety (which is just fear manifest) and fatigue can’t get in the way of your natural tendency to create.

Make something beautiful, then let me see (or hear) it.

You’ve got this.

As always, I welcome your thoughts. You can reach me through the comments section on my Substack or Medium accounts or the blog section on my website. If you have found value in this article, consider following my Instagram and Twitter accounts. Soon you will be able to find my River of Creation podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.

• JWW