Edison’s quote about genius being 99 per cent perspiration and 1 per cent inspiration has long since crossed over into the realm of the cliché. Not that most of us have any claims to genius-hood, but even then, without that aforementioned 1 per cent, the grind of the remaining 99 would be unbearable.
So what inspires you? Is it reading something profound or seeing something that touches you? Maybe simply be looking out of your window in the morning? The honking of traffic outside or the rain drilling on the ground? Or the screaming brat next door? Inspiration is wonderfully subjective that way—you never know in what form it’ll strike. And contrary to what many of us might believe, it’s not something that only artists and other creative people to covet. Without inspiration, our daily lives would become nothing short of drudgery.
I’m not usually given to pontificating in this manner. So the reason for this post is that, since I’ve been rather bereft of inspiration lately and too lazy to get up from my desk, I figured the WWW is great place to hunt for a little spark. To start with, for those who haven’t seen it already, Neil Gaiman’s address to the class of 2012 at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where he exhorts one and all to “make good art” is certainly inspirational:
Neil Gaiman Addresses the University of the Arts Class of 2012 from The University of the Arts (Phl) on Vimeo.
Just in case you’re really desperate and need a step-by-step how-to, here are some WikiHow tips. The truth is, inspiration is everywhere, you just need to know how to look for it.
And lest you find all of this unable to light any spark of good art, remind yourself of your place in this universe (keeping in mind that this was created by a pair of fourteen-year-olds).
~PD