In Part I of this series, I spoke about emotion and mystery as hallmarks of a compelling story. In Part II I added the ingredient of authenticity. Now, in Part III, I want to talk about a factor that is perhaps more difficult to describe, but powerful nonetheless in the quest for creation. I believe that inspiration is the “magic” ingredient that takes the story from good to great.

Motivation

Motivation is the engine that powers Inspiration. When I motivate myself, inspiration soon follows, irrespective of the project upon which I am working. Professional creators can’t afford to “wait for inspiration to strike,” so the ability to create motivation is important.

Want to know how I do it? (I thought so…)

Just. Start.

Pick up your instrument and start playing. The only caveat is that you probably want to stay away from things you can play without thinking. Pick a note or chord (if you are of the polyphonic* persuasion) in the middle of your instrument’s range and start noodling. See what comes of it.

And always “roll tape,” as Frank Zappa would have said. Nowadays we record almost everything digitally, but the advice still holds: record your noodling because later you may find something of interest that would have otherwise been lost.

If you are a writer, open your tablet or laptop or notebook and start writing. One sentence, to start. Describe a scene, if you are outside. Imagine the inner world of the person on the other side of the coffee shop. Create one line of a poem, with no more than 5 words. Read it back and see where it goes.

The same goes for digital artists, architects, content creators - especially content creators; everyone is sick of the same sales pitch - and everyone else who creates art. Just start doing what you do, even if you’re not “in the mood.” Even if you don’t feel like it.

Especially if you don’t feel like it.

But there’s more you can do to get “in the zone.”

The Real World

The physical environment in which you create can be a key component in the quest for inspiration.

The first step here is to pay attention to the surroundings that enhance your creativity. This is a unique element in the creative journey and is subject to change. Do you like to have others around in a coffee shop setting? Do you prefer a more isolated sanctuary? The list of options is seemingly endless:

- Music vs. quiet?
- If music, what kind?
- Clean vs. cluttered?
- Does a view of the outside world distract or focus you?
- Bright lights or dim?
- Plants in the area or no?
- Do you prefer all of your instruments (or pencils, charcoals, paints) at hand or one at time as you need them?
- Digital (tablet, laptop) or analog (paper, canvas, pen)?
- Time of day?

Try to find a combination of settings that “puts you in the mood” to create.

Then (pro tip):

Change it all up and see what happens!

If you’re used to early mornings and bright outside light, try late at night in low light. Even a brief and temporary change can help you see your work in a different light (pun intended).

If you are in the thinking stages of a composition, you might find that a long drive does the inspirational trick better than continuing to stare at a blank page, staff or canvas.

You may be surprised at the power of physical setting to break a “block” in the process.

Mindset

The most interesting part of your art is the part that can come  from you. Don’t be afraid to share your inner weirdness with the world - people are tired of cookie-cutter reproductions. Your audience wants to experience your personal take on the theme, the scene, the song.

Look at your art as a way to express the “real you.” This is the most important mental state to hold, especially in the early stages of creation. Experiment with any and all parameters that you find even remotely interesting and keep the ones that pan out. Watch for the “happy accidents” along the way that can point to paths you had not originally considered.

I believe these “accidents” are not accidental at all - maybe serendipitous - but are actually your deep unique genius communicating to your conscious mind. Einstein believed in the power of dreams and imagination. Stephen King refers to these processes as “the boys in the basement.”

It has been rightly said that there are only 26 letters in the alphabet (for the English language, anyway), and 12 tones in a musical scale (for Western music, anyway). And so every creative thing has already been done.

Not even close.

At some insignificantly base level, your work is bound to be derivative in as much as it is inspired by what you have seen, heard or read. But all snowflakes are made of supercooled water, and somehow each is still unlike the others.

So it is with the mystical lightning bolt that is inspiration. We can discuss ways to open the door for inspiration to enter, but we are still routinely amazed at the gifts it brings.

The Muse

The Muse is a distinctly otherworldly blast of inspiration. For many centuries, creators have felt as though inspiration came from somewhere external to themselves. The Muse is the personification of this apparently foreign source of creative energy. When the Muse is at work, it feels as though the artist is merely the channel through which inspiration flows.

All that we have so far discussed serves to invite the Muse. Once you have felt it, you will want to invite it back on a regular basis.

And so the final ingredient in the recipe of inspiration is to quiet your mind. Meditate or pray or just sit and quietly watch a river. In my experience, you have to empty your mind of mundane concerns to make room for the Muse to enter.

This kind of deep connection with your work will elevate you above the ranks of the “creative adjacent,” people who indulge in faux-original work that they pass off as their own.

Put together all of the ingredients discussed in this article, and you will be an unstoppable creative machine.

May the muse be with you.

*Polyphonic refers to an instrument that can play more than one note at a time, like a guitar or ‘cello or piano. A monophonic instrument generally plays only one note at a time, like a saxophone or a mini-Moog or a flute.



I am a creator (musician, writer, live-streamer and podcaster), entrepreneur, educator and counselor.



To learn more about how to use these concepts or to inquire about working with me, you can contact me through my website, the comments section on my Substack or Medium accounts or The Authentic Life Blog page. If you have found value in this article, follow my Instagram account for daily insights, or my X account for occasional tweets. To support this community, you can Buy Me A Coffee or donate through my Patreon account.

Subscribe to my River of Creation podcast - The Podcast for Creators, coming later this year, wherever you download your podcasts, and my associated YouTube channel.

NOTE: The first episodes of the River of Creation are being livestreamed on my Twitch channel and recorded for the podcast now! And the You Tube channel is LIVE! Come on over!



- JWW