Harvesting My Divine Inspiration

As creatives, we typically find inspiration to be fleeting. Meaning, inspiration only presents itself to us every once and a while. Rarely is it readily available. You can chaulk the inspiration up to what I discussed in my previous blog, The Muse. Or, the practice of discipline. Some may say that inspiration comes from motivation. Some say that inspiration lies within those memes that you find on somebody's Instagram or Facebook feed. (Always avoid those people) However, some find that there's a drastic difference between Motivation and Inspiration. That's true, there is a vast difference between the two. 

Motivation is more of a driving force. We are driven to lose the extra pounds so we look good at the wedding or on the beach. We are motivated to hit on the attractive individual across the bar. At times, motivation stems from competitiveness. I witnessed this all too well while studying music. Not only amongst my peers, but within myself. “So and so played that transcription better than me! Now I am going to go into the woodshed and play it even better and then learn an even harder transcription and play that better than they ever could.” That is not inspiration, that is motivation. 

Motivation pushes you to better yourself or to get better at the things you do. This is more as what Carl Jung would consider an ego driven reaction. Inspiration comes to us in a more natural sense. More of an organic reaction, or to be scientific about it, more of a chemical reaction within our brain. 

There is a reason why many post “inspirational” memes on their social media. Or why their house or office is adorned with posters or their cupboards are filled with coffee mugs with inspirational quotes. No, I am not going to discuss insecurities or attention seeking behavior, not today. The quotes make them feel better. When inspired, large doses of dopamine are released in the brain creating a euphoric experience. When large amounts are released, the individual is on a “natural high.” This natural high makes you happy. It makes you feel good. It also helps the brain function the way it is supposed to. So when we are inspired, or high, we can create more easily. There's just one problem with inspiration. Inspiration is fleeting.

Can you remember the last time you were inspired? Now, can you remember the time before that? Can you remember what inspired you? Can you remember what came of that inspiration? I can. I was hiking in Daniel Boone National Forest in Central Kentucky. I had been on a hiking and camping trip where I had spent a week sleeping in a tent and hiking in Tennessee, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Kentucky. This was my last day of hiking and camping. By this time, I was exhausted. I had been hiking on an average 15 miles a day and had little to no sleep. I was also in a severe caloric deficit. There's no possible way to consume enough calories on these types of trips. That is, if you're eating healthy. The fundamentals of a Vision quest or a Walk About. 

Like an antenna receiving a radio signal, I was gifted an idea. We could say it was The Muse, or, we could say that it was me being broken, mentally and physically and that my mind was clear. I like to think it was a bit of both. However, I think it is fair to say that I was highly inspired by the scenery and the stories of Daniel Boone. Once I got home and had a good night's rest, I acted upon that inspiration and began to write a script about Daniel Boone and the impossible things he had accomplished. That was in June of 2022. That was the last time I was truly inspired, until recently. 

As someone who has been playing guitar, painting, drawing, and writing most of my life, I often run into ruts of creativity. I typically stay disciplined with my crafts, minus the previous two years. Sadly, inspiration can at times be much like The Golden Snitch in the Harry Potter series, nearly impossible to catch. You can stay disciplined. You can pay homage to The Muse. You can break yourself mentally and physically on a Vision Quest, yet, no inspiration may come to you. Over the years, I have developed a few tricks that have helped inspire me to continue creating. 

In a Guitar World interview, late Pantera and Damage Plan guitarist, Dimebag Darrell shared a story about what his father said to him when Dimebag would get into a creative rut. "Well, son, if you decided to learn just one new lick a day, how many would you have at the end of the year?” Brilliant advice. As long as you are disciplined to do so, you can harvest the inspiration you desire. I took these words of wisdom to heart and would apply them to guitar licks, guitar riffs, drawings, and so on in an attempt to stay inspired. 

Social media is a blessing and a curse. It can be such a great way to connect with others, to learn new things, or for mindless entertainment. It can also be a scourge on not just you, but society. One practice I have for my social media feed is, I have curated it to “feed” me only things that will either bring me positivity, teach me something, or more importantly, help inspire me. I do not follow politicians. I do not follow any type of influencer that does not offer anything that isn't genuine or positive. My social media is curated to assist in making me a better musician, a better friend, a better son, a better uncle, and a better part of society. If I know you and you are regularly posting negative things, block, unfollow, bye!

If you want to stay inspired, keep people that inspire you in your life. I follow David Goggins because he reminds me why I am at the gym 6 days a week. He reminds me that yes, life can be hard, sometimes more often than not. He also reminds me that if I focus and work hard, I can pull myself out of whatever hole I am in. Goggins will often post videos that some consider to be motivational videos, however, I believe that they are inspirational videos. Why? His videos make me happy. They make me laugh. Here is Goggins, running 10 miles or so every day, sweating, and he's yelling into the camera, cussing at you and always finishes the video with, “Stay Hard.” It just brings a smile to my face. His hard work dedication to his craft doesnt motivate me, it inspires me to be a better individual. 

I follow Arnold Schwarzenegger to remind myself that if you work as hard as Arnold did and still does, you can achieve your dreams. Arnold came to this country with $30 in his pocket. In the height of his career, he was the highest paid actor in history, bringing in $30 million dollars per movie. Recently, I signed up for Arnolds “Daily Pump” emails. Everyday, Arnold sends an email with tips, advice, and the latest studies on fitness and diet. Arnold could be charging for this, yet, he is doing it all for free. I highly recommend signing up for the Daily Pump. Arnold reminds me why I work so hard. Oftentimes with little to no reward. 

It is also good to personally know those that will inspire you. I am fortunate enough to have many in my life that can and will inspire me. A friend of mine, Rodric has started yet another project (they guy is always working on something). As a life coach (yeah I thought the same thing too) Rodric has helped many people and businesses get their acts together. As of now, Rodric is working on releasing a book. You can sign up for a free EBook here. It is a short read and a taste of what is to come from hsi full length book. 

When lacking inspiration, we have to remind ourselves why we started doing the thing/s we do. My favorite thing to do when I am lacking inspiration, aside from a long hike in the woods, is to listen to the music that inspired me to pick up the guitar. I also listen to the music that inspired me along my long and tedious journey as a musician. I recently created a playlist of the bands and musicians that have inspired me over the years. I will warn you, if you do listen to the playlist, it ranges from Classical and folk music to Heavy Metal. The playlist is a true characterization of my taste in music. 

I have laid out how I try to stay inspired. We all know, like I said before, inspiration is fleeting, and when it is upon us, we must “carpe diem, seize the carpe!” I suggest that you find ways to help keep you inspired. What are your tricks? What do you do? What originally inspired you to pick up your craft? When was the last time you were inspired? What did you create through that inspiration? Make that your goal this week. Figure out what inspires you, and set out a plan to harvest your divine inspiration. I will leave you with the words of one of my favorite humans ever, President Theodore Roosevelt. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”