Constant Motivation and The Myth of Inspiration

Lately I've been going over a few things in my head that just don't make good sense, and those who know me know that when something doesn't make good sense to me my head becomes almost gridlocked until the thought is fully figured or abjectly dismissed. Well just such a thing has happened because I've recently encountered lot of talk of "inspiration" recently. I think inspiration is a good thing—scratch that, a great thing—for most humans on this planet. Note that I said "most". For a select few, inspiration is damn-near mythical.

For any who call themselves "creatives", a need for inspiration would signal a very bad thing. It would be an admission that creativity itself does indeed have an end point. An measureable fail point. That's a rather dire thought for me. In my head, that's what didn't make sense; in a not-so round about way, that is the blatant, almost purposeful ignoring of Life itself. With all of the natural miracles and everyday occurrences that we seem to take so blindly for granted an inch from our faces every minute of every day, many have simply become dead to the very details. At the end of inspiration, sits the admission that we have run dry of Life. Well I say damn that! Straight up. Now believe me, I'm not at all saying that inspiration is not needed for some, even many. What I am saying is that for us—the creatives of the world—there should not come an easy concession to being uninspired. We artists, creatives, keepers of great imaginations and innovative thinkers are the inspiration for others. We can't lack what we are at our core. That is complete self-denial and that ain't at all good.

What the real issue is "motivation". The very word by definition means "to move". If that's is true then we simply need to be almost physically moved. It's not even a spiritual thing most times. It's pure, grade-A lazy. We have grown complacent for the moving of one's own self to get out there and explore and find, to think and do our works. We can search for many excuses to say why that is; fast food mentality, technology, economics, social issues… To all of this I simply I say "lazy". We don't become uninspired. For the so-called creative-minded, it's more along the lines of becoming unmotivated. Listen, this life is a big one. This ball of dirt we spin on, while socially smaller do to the means by which we connect, is still a worthy, lovely, gargantuan place full of the biggest wonders and the most fantastic details. If you can't find the motivation to get out there and explore things that fuel you to go and be inspiring, then I fear you are might be poser. A fake "creative", simply acting out a role. If it is that easy for you to run dry of that motivation, you may not be a creative person. Nothing wrong with that admission, but in my mind, creatives are the source, not the needy. But if you truly believe that you are a creative by nature, then yours is not the task to find inspiration. Yours is the task to find the constant, prepetual motivation to be inspiring to the world around you. I humbly offer that I am not immune the the mental and verbal vomit that has found me spouting "I just want to be inspired", but it was hearing those words come out of my mouth one day that jolted me this momentary epiphany. Life itself is motivation enough for me. Life is the massive Rubbermaid™ into which I put all my toys. I go back to that container every morning and search for the toy, the plaything that fits my mood and my day and gives me the appropriate little spark, that motivation to go in a certain direction and do what I do. I'm not saying we don't run dry. I'm not at all implying that we don't need a little push or a hand up out of the mire that bogs us down and dulls our view. But don't ever attribute that to being uninspired. You just need help in motivation department. You just need the muck cleaned off your windshield so you can again see that amazing road you are traveling on.

Again, let me say that for the average person the word inspiration is perfectly fine. But we are not average. We are creatives. I truly believe that most are looking to us to be inspired. And to that end, we are inspiring to others. We just need to motivation to keep being that which we already are. Remember, we are the source that supplies those in need. You are inspiring already, so I'll just with you the best of luck on staying constantly motivated.

Yeah I know… this doesn't make sense to everyone. But it does to me. If I've confused you by now, just pat me on the head and tell me, "just be pretty, Steve." I'm okay with that. ;-)


-Steve G.