Quote of the day:
Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void but out of chaos.
-Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
What drives inspiration? The very essence of our life is filled with creativity, enthusiasm and inspiration is something that you will seek at some point. By definition it is that someone or something that we look up to for ideas and imagination. More often than not we are inspired by ordinary people who do extra-ordinary things. Or it could be something as simple as gazing up at the golden sun wrapped around a blue sky. It is all around us in various forms. Where do you go, or what do you do to get inspiration? Sometimes we go down one path and stumble into a whole new doorway of ideas which we hadn't intended to experience.
It can be said that a great deal of inventors ended up with inventions that were a mistake. Take the case of Scottish Scientist Alexander Fleming who in 1928 left an experiment with bacteria halfway to go on holiday -leaving behind a dirty petri dish in his lab sink in the basement of St. Mary's Hospital in London. Upon his return he discovered that bacteria had grown all over the plate except for one spot where mold had formed -as if the mold secreted something to stop bacteria growth. And thus he discovered penicillin as a result. A careless mistake but one well worth the result. Of course other similar stories abound of clever inventions.
If you are feeling uninspired, heavy, and bored and believe you are not getting ideas as before, why not try something different? Taking a break can help and going offline for a while may just do the trick as I've learned. The idea is not to drown in your sorrow but to rise above it, head first and arms to the heavens. To discover something new you have to be ready to do something fun and unusual, you have to be able to appreciate everything around you with the knowledge that mistakes can lead to new paths and identities. Try not to be close-minded to having an alternative perspective and imagine yourself as a climber who rises to the top of a mountain and in so doing takes in a panorama of everything including things beyond the horizon.
Invent to re-invent.
Peace. Love. Light*
Current Listen: Peggy Lee -It's A Good Day
65 Comments
Totally agree, going offlie is a great idea :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing :)
Happy Monday!
https://anjage.com
I am glad you agree that it is a great pursuit. Greetings to you.
DeleteHi Blogoratti - we tend to get set in our ways ... whereas if we stand off a little - lots of ideas and thoughts can spring in and let us see things differently. I definitely will make a point of looking at subjects or ideas - just to learn from them ... there's always something. Moving our thoughts on lets us have other perspectives on life ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteI like the idea about standing off a little, and it sure makes sense for ideas to pop up when we let go of certain things and make room for newness. Thanks for sharing that and greetings.
DeleteLove it!
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I'm glad you found it so, greetings.
DeleteEveryone needs to get out of their routine once in awhile. Good for your health and as you illustrated you never know what good may result. I think of travel to new places as doing that. We are looking forward to a trip to Scotland at the end of next month to do just that.
ReplyDeleteI certainly would like to travel more, see new sights and places. A trip to Scotland sounds perfect, and hope you have a great adventure. Greetings.
Deletenothing is better. these days that is ... i love when i can walk away for a while. so fun! i love peace and quiet. ( ;
ReplyDeleteNothing like walking away and returning filled with ideas and creativity. Greetings.
DeleteWhen I look out into the garden, like this morning I saw a few pumpkins forming, I really got inspired to do some garden work! Weeding and pruning isn't my favourite chore because the mosquitoes are out! But seeing that pumpkin motivated me to taking good care of my plants. The garden growing inspires me! Seeing my cheese aging inspires me to want to make even more lol!
ReplyDeleteFor creativity, I simply browse photos of what I'm trying to be inspired by. If I want to do a painting, I'll type "blue watercolor animal" or something like that to give me ideas. Or I just walk in the woods or watch the pets playing!
Isn't that wonderful to be able to gaze at nature and feel inspired to carry out some work, the growth, the smell of flowers and plants, the soil, and so on. Really good stuff, and you seem to find ideas all around you. Thanks for sharing that and nice of you to drop by.
DeleteI recently spent a month off facebook and definitely saw an increase in my productivity
ReplyDeleteNice post, inspiring!
ReplyDelete"Invent to re-invent." is a very good advise indeed.
ReplyDeleteIt´s hard for me, though, to see good in failure, but that, too, is about inspiration, I think.
It is so easy and comfortable to continue being inside the box until the moment we feel claustrophobic. Then we must get out!! Better get out of the box from time to time to avoid boredom and hasty decisions.
ReplyDeleteGreat suggestion/advise, B.
Have a pleasant Monday afternoon. Here it is still morning.
: )
I agree with the take time off line or away somewhere to regroup. if like gets us down we need to make a change of some kind, even a simple one. in the past, i had a period i could not blog. i just stopped for a few days and came right back..
ReplyDeleteHello Blogoratti!:) Many thanks for your visit. I could not agree with you more. I get my inspiration from nature, and the quietness of solitude. If I get a mental block when painting, I leave whatever I'm doing, and take a walk through the woods, and I may even leave my painting for a few days to see it with fresh eyes, and usually this fresh approach works. We can get so accustomed to seeing things one way, that it's good to take a break and enjoy something else for a change. I always think of mistakes as happy accidents, from which we learn.
ReplyDeleteHave a good day, and thank you for your inspirational point of view.:) inspirational post.
Good day, sir!
ReplyDeleteI love this post and your link about inventions. I might not ever invent anything but I talk so much about inventions that I just might inspire someone one day.
Safety pin, cotton gin, and weedeaters...those are the three that I remember writing about on my blog. (Weedeaters are called strimmers over there, I think!) Anyway, I find that inventors are amazing people. I have almost finished a book about The Wright Brothers...they didn't invent the airplane but they learned the way to keep it in the sky!
You would love that book, I am sure, it is by David McCullough.
Creative and beautiful macro shot of the light bulb, leaf and wood ~thanks, ^_^
ReplyDeleteWonderful post with wise words. Thanks. Valerie
ReplyDeleteTime away works wonders, a new perspective,a clear head. Great post.
ReplyDeleteTaking breaks away from the computer helps eliminate 'boring' posts and boosts creativity. Good post!
ReplyDeleteExcellent advice! So often that moment "hits" once you're no longer searching for it.
ReplyDeletecool thing about being a writer...my whole existence is about inventing
ReplyDeleteIt's a good thing someone didn't clean up after Alexander Fleming while he was gone.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Most of my best writing has come by mistake. So either I'm an accidental genius, or I'm just really bad at intentional writing. Either way, totally agree with what you say. I think the lesson is just not to overthink things. That's when you're most likely to ruin something good.
ReplyDeleteGreat Inspiration! I love especially the last Part of your Post. :)
ReplyDeletexox
Yes, so many times we have to be willing to go off the beaten path to find that inspiration that has been waiting for us. Loved the story about Dr. Fleming - I'd forgotten about it!
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
I think genius can be seeing mistakes and making something out of them. Taking time offline is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteReally interesting post! Thanks a lot for sharing)
ReplyDeleteSome great ideas. I always take a few breaks from being online and I find I get recharged. Walking with my camera also does wonders. I may get bored sometimes but can focus on something else that I haven't photographed before.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing and have a wonderful week.
Great advice to try something different in order to find inspiration - it can be refreshing, for sure!
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x
Henri Poincare described how to improve creativity using an indirect method:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.is.wayne.edu/DRBOWEN/CRTVYW99/POINCARE.HTM
What a great idea.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post, Blogoratti. I get my inspiration from nature. I love walking and watch the trees and the people. Have a great week, my friend.
ReplyDeleteThank You for the lovely comment you left over at A Vintage Journey.
ReplyDeleteNow following you
Best wishes
Annie
It is amazing how many inventions are discovered by accident. I didn't know about penicillin. Thanks for sharing. :) Taking a break and doing something different can definitely get the creative juices flowing.
ReplyDelete~Jess
A lot of discoverys were bad outcomes of experiments that were looking for something else.
ReplyDeleteHello! I have taken a nice long Facebook break and have also reduced posts on my blog. Sigh. Never realized how much time the social media consumed. Working backstage now in one of our community theatres ~ "Peter and the Starcatcher" ~ a breath of fresh air that I needed! Stay well and happy.
ReplyDeleteI am in awe of people who come up with innovative ideas. To find a new use for an object is a wonderful thing.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I so agree with you. My "job" at Chevron was an idea man. People would come to me with a project. I'd figure out how to get it done.
ReplyDeleteI think creativity is about perspective, for me that means new scenery. A long weekend to the beach or the mountains is inspiring. I experience new dreams and energy.
ReplyDeleteNothing ventured, nothing gained comes to mind. Dare to try something different, who knows what you will find?
Peace, Light and Love always!
Wow!!! My new favorite post, Mr. B!
ReplyDeleteExcellent ideas my friend, thank you.
ReplyDeleteAs always, such great words of wisdom. I appreciate you! Hugs...RO
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
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Nice post! Have a great new day.
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I don't always go offline when in need of finding the muse. The computer really expands my world. I can visit faraway musuems or look a other's art or read blog posts for some ispiration. :-) Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteInspiration is nothing more than mental agility.
ReplyDeleteGood advice!
ReplyDeleteSuch wisdom here (as in all your wonderful posts "B")!
ReplyDeleteWhen you think of all those fabulous innovations...each one began as an idea in a creative mind...:))
I love the mountain climbing analogy. Creativity comes in many forms and always most incredible when it begins to flow. Enjoyed the column.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone needs some offline days :) Great post !
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. Blogoratti, I'm sure I've mentioned before how much I admire you...you are such a wise man and I am so happy you share your mind with us.
ReplyDeleteI am struggling, after the loss of my husband of 57 years, to rise above my shattered heart. I tend to want to stay in my house, doors closed, shutters drawn and not want to see anyone..however, it's been over a month since he left us and I know he doesn't want me to lock myself away from my friends. I went to a Bunco party last night with 11 of my friends (one being my precious daughter) and I had to MAKE myself go...I had such a good time..and I feel better today. So, just baby steps sometimes makes a difference.
So true. The best way to solve a problem is to not think about the problem, but rather let the solution find you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the interesting post! Have a nice day)
ReplyDeleteCertainly taking a break from a problem can help you solve it as the insight may occur overnight or in a shower or whatever.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!!! I love finding a private space that allows me to get my creative juices flowing.
ReplyDeleteEveryone needs a break now and then to refresh, re-energize and renew. Too often, many if us fall into a pattern on doing the same things. Lately, I have been trying to make small changes in everyday activities and hope these will add up to feeling more creative in the future.
ReplyDeletethat quote? 100% truth. I'm at my most creative when someone-or something...has pissed me off. All my best short stories and poems have been written when I've been angry. Or in love. It has be to some range of emotions that gets the ideas to flowing. I recently wrote a short story with the main character as someone who pissed me off. She and I are now on good terms, so I have to now alter her character so that she won't know it's about her! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post by the way! I wish I had creative flow problems. I currently have 3 short stories and a book in my head, waiting to be written. I just need the time to compose them. I wish I could go offline, but the internet is like crack to me
Forgot to add, God Bless you!
ReplyDeleteMuito boa reflexão. Grata por sua visita ao meu blog.
ReplyDeleteMeus cumprimentos.
Lately, I have been trying to make small changes in everyday activities and hope these will add up to feeling more creative in the future.
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Stopping ny to say hello and Happy Wednesday! Hugs...RO
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting and commenting.
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