Imagine a person who needs energy, but is so busy with work that they forget to eat.
After going for a long period of time without food, this person becomes so weak that they can’t even find the strength to prepare or procure food.
“I need food, but I feel too weak to get up and go get it,” they say.
What’s the solution to this predicament?
The answer comes down to one simple word: eat!
Maybe eating requires a heroic effort to get up and prepare a meal. Maybe it requires the assistance of a good friend. Maybe it even requires medical intervention. How ever the job gets done, this person needs to get food into their system.
The last thing they should do is wait until they have the energy to get up and get food.
Creating is to inspiration what eating is to energy.
Imagine a person who wants to write, make art, compose music, or do interesting things, but lacks inspiration.
After going for a long period of time without inspiration, she becomes so apathetic that they don’t feel the motivation to lift the slightest finger towards doing what makes them come alive.
“I need to create, but I don’t feel inspired enough to do anything” they say.
The answer to this, too, comes down to one simple word: create!
If you feel uninspired, you must find a way to take at least one small action-step towards a constructive goal.
Maybe that requires a heroic effort to write something even if it’s really bad writing. Maybe that requires a good friend who offers accountability. Maybe that requires a little art therapy, creativity coaching, or even professional help. How ever the job gets done, you need to actively involve yourself in the creative process.
The last thing you should do is wait until you happen to feel inspired before doing anything. Inspiration isn’t the savior that makes art possible. It’s the reward that’s made real by our willingness to create even when we don’t feel like we have what it takes to do great things.
Creating, like eating, is an activity that brings nourishment and offers us a steady supply of energy.
The more you create, the more creative energy you will have.
The greatest reward of participating in the creative process isn’t a well-written book or a well-composed song. The greatest benefit is a well-formed soul, a well-developed mind, and an inner wellspring of self-determination that doesn’t depend on a good day or a good mood to do meaningful work.
If you’re feeling uninspired, here’s my suggestion: try creating something.
T. K. Coleman
T.K. Coleman is the Director of Entrepreneurial Education at FEE and is best described as a passionate voice for possibility. As a firm believer in the idea that freedom begins from within, his life mission is to help people reclaim a sense of personal power in their everyday lives.