Exploring All Possibilities - Issue #1

What To Do With Inspiration

Whatever you do, don’t forget to breathe

Welcome to Exploring All Possibilities - a newsletter for the creative soul in all of us.

If you’re new here, welcome to a new form of chaos. I started this newsletter to connect like-minded individuals like you and me, so we can feel free to create whatever our heart desires.

And, this issue is about inspiration.

“Let the voice in your breath, be heard around the world.”

-Anonymous

Inspiration is defined by my dictionary as: the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

OK. I’ll pull out the important words so we can dive deeper.

“Mentally stimulated” - Check. I’ve got the Internet.

“Do or feel” - Breathes life and emotion into you. Sounds good.

“Creative” - Oh, no. I have to take action for this to work???

The last part of the definition is the kicker, “…especially to do something creative.”

We’ll get to that soon, but let’s explore the origin of the word first. If you don’t already know this about me, I’m an etymologist at heart.

Inspiration comes from the Latin word inspirare. It means “breathe or blow into.” Originally this word was used to describe a divine being imparting an idea into you.

Basically, you’re being given air.

You take in air to stay alive. When you inhale, air enters your lungs and oxygen moves to your blood. Carbon dioxide then moves from your blood to your lungs to be exhaled.

Essentially, inspiration has a counterbalance, and this is exhaling. Also known as expiration, from Latin exspirare, “to breathe out.”

Now, back to the last part of the meaning of inspiration: “The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

So, if inspiration is breathing in, creativity is breathing that air out? Sure, why not.

But, sometimes we forget to do that. Being creative takes time. It takes energy. It takes effort. You’re busy, you have a job, a business, a family, a life.

How can you be expected to breathe out something creative with every single breathe?

Well, it’s easier than you think.

No one said that creativity had to follow immediately after the inspiration occurs. You can’t be expected to write a novel in a few seconds.

But, you can collect your breathes as you exhale.

At each exhale of inspiration, turn your thoughts into physical markings. Yes, this is my fancy way of saying, “Write it down.”

That’s it. When you get inspired, write your thoughts down.

Easy.

Collect your breathes for later.

Soon, you’ll have a storm collected. A storm that you can mold into something beautiful and breathe out to the world.

Thanks for reading.

Stay inspired. Just don’t forget to breathe.

If you send this newsletter to your friends and family who may appreciate it, please let me know so I can say, “thanks!”

Some musical inspiration

Here’s a song that’s inspired me lately. Let me know what you think. I’d love to hear from you.