My inspiration ebbs and flows: some days, I have many ideas; others, I think hard but no ideas come. I have found that speaking with friends helps me to think of new things to make and write about. Spending more time out and about helps too.
I haven’t been walking around a lot recently: the colder weather, and the winter blues, had me out less than I would like. This morning, bleary eyed and yearning for a lie in, I decided to accede to my alarm clock and get up early to go out. The plan for the day? Running a few errands then, as a treat, a trip to one of my favourite bookstores.
When I got to the bookshop, having done all of the things I needed to do in the morning, I was excited to see what new titles were released. I looked around, eager to see if any new books were released in my favourite genres: Japanese and Korean translated fiction. I went from stand to stand, excited by what I saw. I then went to the basement looking for a book about statistics, a subject that I wanted to learn more about. While perusing, I saw a book on communication, which I later purchased.
Therein lies one of the many joys of the bookstore: the excitement of looking for a book in one genre, then another book standing out. This book is what I want to read next, I thought to myself as I glared at the orange title of a book on communication. The author was one of my favourite television presenters, someone I respect for their direct, intuitive explanations. Pressing one finger on the top of the book, I pulled it lightly out of the shelf, then felt the matte cover on the rest of my hand as I pulled the book off the shelf.
I stood, reading, for five or so minutes – I don’t really know how long I was there for; I just remember being captivated by the words on the pages. I was excited by all that I could learn.
I purchased my book, then made my way to a cafe where I could read my book. It was busier than normal, although perhaps it was to be expected given it was a Saturday afternoon and the holiday season is approaching. I wasn’t thinking too much about how busy it was, though; a situation that would usually make me anxious – will I get a table? – was calm as I read page after page of the book that I had just purchased. With each word and detail of the stories told in the introduction, I felt relaxed and at peace.
I love how books take me into my own world.
Sitting down with a warm flat white next to me, I read from page to page. Reaching the end of the chapter, I put my book down, sipped my coffee, and started to take note of my surroundings. In hindsight, I felt present in the moment. I wrote in my digital notes Writing encourages me to look around and note detail — to really take in the environment around me. When I think about what story I see in the environment around me, I start to go into writer mode. What details do I see? What story can I tell?
The words I miss personal writing lay above the fold in my digital notebook for the last week or so; a prolonged yearning to do more personal and storywriting. I scratched the itch a bit with one recent article, but I had a deep sense that I wanted to write more stories. Having spent less time out and about, I had less inspiration. But, being in a cafe into which natural light beamed, I started to feel the inspiration come back. The spark.
The low sun illuminates the remaining yellow leaves on the tree in front of me, and a tree with yet still green leaves in the background., I wrote, eager to capture the moments around me. I looked at the stone walls of the buildings outside. I looked around the cafe to see most tables were taken. A patron sitting next to the window was writing notes on colourful, seasonal, paper. I wondered if they were writing notes to friends. What a lovely place for writing.
I took out my paper and pencil – a tiny pencil that was so worn down that it was hard for me to use. Despite the discomfort in my wrist that came from writing with the pencil, I continued on to write notes. Ideas for things I could write. I reflected on the significance of my Patterns blog posts, and wondered whether there were more to write. Ideas flowed. The world receded into the background while I started to think about connections between concepts that could be interesting to explore in my writing.
With every passing thought, some potential ideas, others observations about the world around me, I felt the energy that brings me joy when I start planning what I want to write. The moments of writing are seemingly fleeting; I am often so focused that I forget about the sensation of writing. The only thing that is left is a faint memory that I want to keep writing – the clarity of thought that comes from putting words on the page is significant to me and who I am.
My notebook is full of new ideas. Some may become writings, others will stay among the pages for a while as I learn more. Some ideas are ready to explore now; others, like many of the best things in life, will take time to grow.
I am writing this from my favourite armchair. It’s nothing fancy, but it is important to me. This is the place I have written many words: the back support is good, I can rest things on the arms of the chair, and it’s close to the radiator so I can stay warm in the winter months.
Half an hour ago, a friend texted me to ask What’s inspiring you today?. Those words were what I needed to reflect on the significance of the day; a day on which I felt sparks of creativity after a few stressful days. Responding to my friend, I said Therein lies a story!, then I went to my notepad and started to write about my day. May I add: therein, the power of sending a kind message to a friend.
