Acknowledging Your Current Inspirations
Kelly Clark
Every so often, and particularly when I'm feeling dry, especially quiet, or the other extreme, utterly overwhelmed by ideas, I'll make a list. Not a list of all new ideas, or brand new thoughts (because few things are faster to pull a mental blank than saying "ok! go! CREATE SOMETHING!"), but a list of the things I already know I'm inspired by. These can be as broad as "the color blue," as highly specific as "the primary flight feathers of falcons," as conceptual as "collective consciousness" or as experiential "that day last week when I walked in the salt water up to my knees." Inspiration comes from everywhere, so don't discount a single though as you muse through your ideas.
For this morning, this was my list:
1. Foxgloves and lupines
2. The summer scent of the yard after a rainfall
3. Domestic things going wild with seed
4. The last golden rays of sunset illuminating the smallest slivers of earth
5. The Huntress Archetype
6. Repeating patterns in nature
7. Citrine and Carnelian
8. Native mythology / creation stories
Alright ladies! It's time to bust out those sketchbooks! I'd like you to begin writing out your list - and remember, all we're doing here is noting the inspiration that already exists. Place no perimeters on yourself or this list, just let it roll. If something pops up in your thoughts right now, write it down. But give yourself some time and space with this; as you walk around your home, your work, your yard or neighborhood just notice what you are drawn to or reminded of. You may have a flood of things to write down, you may have just two or three. Either way, what we're doing here is tapping into the goodness, the beauty, the wildness, the spark that already surrounds your life. The only important thing here is that when you look at your list, you feel a "YES" in your soul, a "I do love these things" that bubbles up through your heart. If you feel inspired, take a few photos of some specifics on your list - think of these as reference points. They do not need to be photo-gallery-perfect; they are truly just there to add as visuals to your list of inspirations.
My radishes, gone rouge, seeding out.
My front porch foxgloves.
Take the next two days to work on your list, adding to it as it feels right. On Friday we'll be diving in to this list, expanding and developing in a BIG way. If you're in the Facebook group and feel inspired to share your list, please do! Each of our experiences is so individual, and our collective experience grows richer by sharing!
Keep those eyes open and curious ladies!
- K