When Fancy Strikes

 I love the idea that inspiration is something that "strikes" you, like a bolt of lightning.  Because as it happens, that's exactly how it happens.  There you are, sitting and waiting and wishing that the writing were coming, and when it does.... what a feeling it is! Like a spark becoming a flame, which grows and grows.

Inspiration may be erratic but it is powerful. It might seem like one of the less desirable aspects of human capacity, that much of our creative energy relies on these unpredictable and often stubborn "aha moments." Philosophers like Schiller thought that these rare instances were the real stuff of being human- the moments at which the flat and reasoning mind that gets us through our day and conducts the activities of survival becomes this field of infinite possibilities, each more beautiful than the next. When thought of that way, that inspiration is occasional seems fitting in light of its general grandeur. 

If it is said that we are bound to our fancy, this can have both negative and positive connotations. For yes, I suppose that sometimes some of us can't resist our own impulses (I think I would probably constitute exhibit A for this claim).  But there are worse things to be in the service of, after all, than this creative drive that occasionally alights on idle minds. I think there ways to create an environment that is hospitable to inspiration, that whimsical guest.

 1. Create a workspace that is uncluttered and pleasant.  Beautiful surroundings are easier to work in because they make the work desirable. 

2. Work away, regardless of mood.  Not, perhaps, to the point of tedium, but study the tasks at hand. Work every day. Immerse yourself in the work you are trying to accomplish even if the thoughts are not flowing furiously.  Think of this as gathering the threads of your larger concept so you will be prepared when it is time to weave them together. 

3. Get enough food and sleep.  Inspiration hates sleepy people.  You are much more likely to really grab onto an "Eureka!" if you are clear headed and energetic enough to see it coming at you. 

4. Don't lose hope.  There is nothing nastier than writer's block; and there are some very famous authors out there who were blocked for years before producing works that are now the treasures of mankind. Inspiration is as certain as it is irregular, I think it is something that we are all privy to as human beings.  And there are few things as reliable as the far and exotic reaches of the imagination.