Artists.
When inspiration strikes, we create. We suckle from the teats of the muse. That is the classical, almost too-artistic view of our work ethic. But what is inspiration? Who is the muse? A goddess, a lover, or a demon? Does it take the form of a sudden, burning passion to move and create, or the slow, gentle pressure of a germinating idea? I think it is all of those things, and more.
So how does one invoke the muse? That is the question. In retrospect, the most actively creative parts of my life have been when I was pursuing creativity on a regular basis. The reason I wrote so much in my university years was because I was in creative environments, surrounded by other creators, influencing and being influenced by each of them. When I did not continue that practice, as my life progressed into the mundanity of normalcy, I fell away from that source of inspiration, and the flow of ideas came to a trickle, and then – sadly – a halt.
How does one reverse this? You have to want to, and, to paraphrase an old friend, you have to learn to eat the right foods. If you’re eating creativity, you’ll be more creative. If you’re eating spirituality, you’ll explore that more as well. What it breaks down to is, you are what you do. If you’re not doing it, then you’re not being it. If you’re not designing buildings, you’re not an architect. If you’re not practicing medicine, you’re not a medical doctor. And if you’re not writing, you’re not a writer.
Figure out what you want to be, and do that. No one is born an expert. No one has ever fixed a roof before, until they did. No one has ever raised a garden before, until they did. No one ever painted a painting, sculpted stone, or wrote a story, until they did. Go do the thing you want to do and be the person you want to be, because sitting around and wishing and hoping doesn’t do it. Eat the food of your desires. Get inspired. There’s no time like the present.
Issue 33-3 has but one story in it; the continuing tale of the life of Justin. Last detailed in “Justin Time”, the character continues to grow and evolve, as do we all.
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