Finding Inspiration

Shauna Niequist is one of my favorite writers, she has written two books, Cold Tangerines and Bittersweet. I follow her through her facebook and on her website but more specifically her blog. Her latest entries have been on her advice to aspiring writers and I found this so applicable to me and my life as a whole not just my writing. Here is a link to Shauna's website/blog if you want to take a look at the posts I am referring too.

In case you didn't go to her blog, I'll give you my short "what Amber noticed" version. One thing that really caught my attention was the way she talked about inspiration. Now, I have always been the type who loves to write but quite honestly- I whine and complain because I don't feel "inspired". I didn't know what to write about and then I would eventually come to the conclusion that I wasn't meant to write and it would be easier for me if it was something I was meant to pursue. YA RIGHT. I love the fact that when I read what Shauna wrote I felt as if I wasn't alone in this battle of "writing inspiration". She says "I believe less and less in the myth of inspiration—the cartoon light bulb over your head, falling into a writing trance, losing track of time, pulling over your car on the side of the road because the magical idea came like a bolt of lightning right then.I write when it’s time to write, when my son’s at school. I can’t stay up all night and write. I can’t wait around for a cartoon light bulb. I choose to believe that inspiration is my responsibility—I create it in the life I lead. And this means something different for every creative person."

I have decided to take this a personal challenge. I am challenge myself to live a more creative life, to truly devulge myself into my own creativity - ALL THE TIME. This means, like Shauna stated, I will set aside time to write. Not start writing when I feel as if I have something special and magical and poetic to say. I will write when I have the time, as if it were my job.  Also, I am turning off the TV and stepping away from the computer and finding better more creative ways to fill my down time. I have a whole list of books I want to read that I have only written down and never started.

So bye bye, facebook-stumbleupon-and other internet distractions. No more watching 3 hours of Desperate Housewives re-runs after Asher is in bed. No more mind-numbing, and creativity stunting activites...well okay, in all reality I'll just cut back. Everything is good in moderation right? Right. I just have to restablish my balanace. Which could be tricky because I'm not sure I've ever had creative balance in my life so far. I am excited! To start this new challenge, this new adventure of finding my inner creativity and imagination. Good things are bound to happen. I can feel it brewing like the storm I'm watching roll in over the lake from out my office window.

Change is coming; and for the first time I'm welcoming it. Dare I say...I invited it!?