Tag: FindingInspiration

Creating Inspiration

Posted on by andrew

Isabella Wen (she/her), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

 

Finding inspiration is a big part of our lives and what it means to be human. Without inspiration, what would we live for? It motivates us to aim for greater things. It gives us passion. Whether you draw, paint, write, compose, dance, design or code, creation brings a type of wonder to our lives. That spark in someone’s eye, a drive that refuses to be ignored, a new perspective of the world we live in.

Becoming inspired isn’t always easy though- sometimes it smacks you straight in the face (kind of hard to miss), but most of the time it takes a little more digging than that. 

Some days you could be staring at the ceiling and a spark of creativity will ignite. A sudden surge of motivation, you’re ready to create the vision that suddenly popped into your head. 

Some days, or personally, I’d say most days, all you see is the ceiling. Not always do we feel this spontaneous emotion, and that’s okay. But if you’ve been lacking inspiration for a long time, that can be difficult and often leaves you feeling stuck.

Here comes the big question.

Can we create inspiration ourselves? Or must we always wait for it to hit us?

The truth is- many of us fail to indulge in our own creativity because we don’t feel like it. I remember the many times I had the opportunity to create but pushed it aside because I felt stuck.

If you’re having trouble finding inspiration, there are some things you can do to try and create it. Who knows, you might find something worthwhile.

 

Here are my 5 tips to create inspiration.

  1. Take Risks

The best way to find inspiration is to take that leap of faith and try something new. Even the smallest risks can have big outcomes. Try making a new recipe tonight, volunteering, or even watching a movie you’ve never seen before.

  1. Change in scenery

Sometimes we lack inspiration because we’ve been doing the same thing day after day for so long that we need something fresh. Try travelling to a local beach, park, or even an old place from your childhood.

  1. Find purpose in everyday things

A contrast to tip 2, keep things the same. There’s beauty in everything we do, and sometimes we forget to appreciate that. Try doing whatever you normally do in a day, but practice awareness. Especially in routines, or things you consider a usual occurrence.

  1. Take a walk down memory lane

Remember times in the past that inspired you. Go through some old photos, or just reflect on how far you’ve come. Maybe you’ll be reminded of a person, event, or a song that sparked something in you.

  1. Exchange experiences with other people

Share stories with other people. Whether it be a family member, friend, coworker, or maybe even a stranger, people inspire each other all the time. I can guarantee that you’ll learn something new from every interaction.

No matter how you find or create your inspiration, it will never hand you success without hardship. When you’re given a seed, it doesn’t blossom in a day. Depending on the type of soil you use, the amount of water, your plant will differ from another person’s. Even if it came from the same seed.

Inspiration is an idea and the motivation to create. However, the way you interpret your inspiration may be different from other people. Ultimately, it’s your job to nurture it and grow it.

—

 

Isabella Wen is a high school student who uses writing as both an outlet and a way to contribute to a community. She hopes to influence and inspire others through Low Entropy’s platform.

Various Ways to Find Inspiration

Posted on by andrew

Grace Cheng (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

 

Inspiration occurs when someone sees or hears something that triggers new ideas or motivates them to act. The process of inspiration refers to the process of arousing an individual to feel a certain way or desire to act in a particular manner. There is often an association between this concept and creative endeavors, but it can occur in a variety of circumstances. In the workplace, for instance, inspiration can influence individuals to change their behavior or aid them in generating new ideas. Although individuals can inspire others, that inspiration usually originates from within. There may be something that a person sees or hears that resonates with their values, feelings, or desires and encourages them to act.

The power of inspiration lies in the combination of imagination and motivation. You may find inspiration through another person’s words or actions, through images that you have seen, or even by just sitting and thinking in a place that is conducive to peaceful thinking. The feeling of inspiration is always accompanied by an element of personal purpose.

According to my experience, I find inspiration in two different ways. I find it by spending time alone in silence, reflecting on my life, practicing meditation, or participating in any activity that allows me to get quiet and listen to my heart. It is during those moments that I am most connected to what is most important to me, which inspires new ways of thinking, being, and acting for me. In this way, I can set out a plan for the day or even for the whole month or year ahead.

By understanding that inspiration comes from within, we cease to seek inspiration from external sources. The ability to recognize the source of our inspiration is essential to our growth, as when we are fully aware that our inspiration originates from within, we are not subject to the changing tides of people and things around us.

Where can we find inspiration?

  1. Walking in Nature

People can be inspired by nature since it reflects our natural environment. By spending more time in nature, we can experience feelings of awe and astonishment. Time is no longer a constraint, and we can take things as they come. There are also lessons to be learned from nature.

  1. Talking to People

When we need inspiration, we may find it helpful to talk to people we know and trust about what they do. We can benefit from expressing our thoughts if there is a struggle or challenge we are experiencing, or if we are contemplating a new direction. We may also be inspired to produce ideas we had not thought of before because of this. The involvement of other individuals can provide us with a sense of generative accountability as we move forward.

  1. Exercise

Research has shown that individuals who feel healthy and happy are more likely to experience inspiration than those who feel anxious or stressed. Physical exercise has been proven to promote physical and mental well-being, and in addition to providing a space to clear your mind and process your thoughts, physical activity can also stimulate the creative process.

  1. Looking at the Big Picture

The big picture allows us to see how our actions contribute to a larger whole. It is possible to find inspiration and meaning in something greater than us, and this can also give us the feeling of being rooted.

  1. Change

Positive change can inspire a person in so many ways. The process of change allows us to discover new things, improve as individuals, and spur us on to better things. Embrace change and learn to enjoy the daily journey that it brings. By doing so, you can become your own inspirational story and uplift yourself at the same time.

  1. Family

A loving, supportive family can serve as a source of inspiration regularly. It is often necessary to undertake tedious tasks in life, but when you are sure they will make the people you love happy or comfortable, it is easier to take on those tasks.

  1. Kindness

The act of kindness is an easily accessible source of inspiration. Practicing kindness without a sense of expectation can be the key to success.

  1. Mediation

The practice of meditation opens your mind to new ideas. Mindfulness practice improves attention and makes it easier to recognize the novelty and usefulness of new ideas. Mediation promotes courage and resilience in the face of skepticism and setbacks, which is critical because failures and setbacks are inherent to the innovation process.

  1. Listening to Music

Music is a pure and unadulterated source of inspiration and has the power to influence our emotions, thoughts, and ideas as well as our creativity. Listening to music has the greatest effect on people. Paying attention to the composition and listening carefully can inspire people and heal their bodies at the same time. Besides stimulating the mind, inspiring music also stimulates the intellect.

  1. Drawing and Painting

Drawing and painting can distract and calm us. By disengaging from the outside world, we make room for creativity, and we allow ourselves the opportunity to be inspired.

 

Inspiration can be found everywhere. Some individuals find inspiration in nature, or other people in their lives, such as their friends and family.

– 

Grace has an accounting and finance background. She enjoys reading, writing, listening to music, watching movies and playing sports.

In the Details

Posted on by andrew

Bethany Howell (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

 

I can get into mental states that do not allow me any joy, as though my brain has vacuumed out the beauty of the world. I spent a good portion of my life seeking out cures for this feeling. Medications and therapies help the baseline, but I still find myself struggling to truly enjoy the world around me — to feel inspired. I have tried meditation and plenty of self-help books, but it all seems to be to little avail. There are so many solutions labeled “To Help Inspire and Change Your Life!,” yet in my experience, none truly work on anything longer than short-term. Finding inspiration in everyday life is difficult if you don’t know what to look for, and it is clear that many try to capitalize on this fact.

 

A few years back, I tried something new. Instead of roaming around the Health and Wellness section of my local library, praying for a miracle, I decided to reflect on the past — what helped me when I was at my best. As a child, I was easily amazed, simple walks in nature were enough to keep me entertained. My parents would find me paying attention to the little details of life, stunned by the happiness I would find there. I used to discover the magic in life — what we are all searching for — so easily. 

 

I thought for many years that my ability to be inspired by such small things as frogs and clouds shaped like dinosaurs was something that I left in childhood. I thought this ability was, in itself, immature and inaccessible when my age grew past single digits. Yet, having no other options available to me, I decided to try to seek that magic once more.

 

I began carrying a camera with me as I completed my usual daily chores. It was a Nikon, almost a decade out-of-date at the time, that my parents had decided to lend me in my late teens. I kept it with me for months on end, collecting pictures of the pigeons downtown, the smiling faces of my friends between classes and the boats in the harbor atop the glistening, snow-covered ice. I sometimes look back at these photos and marvel at just how quickly I was able to pick up the little magics in life again. 

 

I still bring my camera along for adventures some days when I am especially not doing well — a much newer edition with such luxuries as automatic focusing — but I no longer require it to find inspiration in day-to-day life. This does not mean that all of my problems have been “fixed.” I still have days where I have trouble forcing myself out of bed. However, in times like these, I like to turn to the small things. I can always find something wondrous hiding in the mundane if I truly look. I harvest my happiness riding the bus for a long trip, listening to ballads and staring out the window as though I am in a music video. The delicate shades of the chlorophyll in a leaf never fail to help me stop the buildup of negative thoughts. 

 

I find my inspiration in the things everyone else overlooks. Maybe it is because they are never appreciated that I am able to truly be in awe of them. Who else would spend five minutes of her day admiring the tiny footprints left by a squirrel looking for his hidden winter stash? The trail the squirrel has left shows a pattern that — as I analyze it — appears to embody his thought process, leading from the tree, to the stump, back to the tree. I can tell that he knew exactly where to look this time, as there is a tiny hand-dug and nut-shaped hole beside the stump. It is moments like this that make me appreciate not just the small thing I am inspecting, but also the world around me as a whole. No, my problems are not all fixed by this one squirrel’s trail, but a portion of the weight of life has been lifted.

 

Life does not instantly heal itself when you look for inspiration in the mundane, but I truly believe that finding inspiration, however small, does help the healing process. I am, in no way, completely happy in my mindset, but I am doing better and that is what matters.

 

—

 

My name is Bethany Howell and I am a third-year university student majoring in psychology and minoring in family and child studies. I have a passion for writing and mental health, and my ultimate goal since age 13 has been to make a difference in the world through helping others, which is how I ended up here at Low Entropy!