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Look for sources of inspiration in what has troubled humanity throughout history. Are some thoughts finally popping into your head?
But before you put pen to paper, think about how relevant the problem you are raising is for those around you? Will this topic be of interest to other people? If the answer is yes, then feel free to begin a comprehensive study of the subject.
What to do if you have no inspiration to write
The muse fluttering over a writer’s head is nothing more than an image, because if famous prose writers waited each time for inspiration to create a particular book, it is unlikely that they would have enough life to publish at least one work. So what to do if work on the text is at a standstill, but you still need to finish it? We already know the answer to this question and are ready to share with you the secrets of famous writers.
Haruki Murakami - maintains a strict regime
“A profession should initially be an act of love. And not a marriage of convenience. And before it’s too late, don’t forget that the work of your whole life is not a business, but a life.”
If you still think that writing is an extremely enjoyable activity, moreover, that does not require any physical effort, then the Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami is ready to challenge your beliefs. To his work, the author of " Norwegian Wood"
“approaches with exceptional responsibility, even pedantry. Every morning, including weekends and holidays, he gets up at four in the morning and immediately sits down at the computer. To create the next manuscript, Murakami gives himself six hours every day, and not a minute less. Later, he allows himself a short break - he goes for a run, swims in the pool or listens to music, which he considers his second main passion after writing. In addition, the writer always goes to bed no later than nine in the evening.
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Only a strict regime, the Japanese is sure, can contribute to productive work. However, despite such strictness towards himself, the writer is convinced: literature, like any other profession, should bring pleasure, otherwise all efforts, including the habit of a strict schedule, are meaningless.
Marcel Proust - did not leave the room
“We owe the fruits of our creativity not so much to the thirst for fame as to perseverance”
It is difficult to imagine that in the days of his youth, Marcel Proust - a classic of French literature, a man in poor health and a recluse - was a regular at social events. In between endless balls, he published his first book - a collection of stories “Joys and Days”. He, however, did not have any success. The failure in the literary arena was followed by the death of his father, later his mother, and then the rapid development of asthma, which put an end to the novelist’s public life. He stopped attending receptions and devoted all his time to working with the text.
In Search of Lost Time Marcel Proust Hardcover
It is known that the creation of the novel “ In Search of Lost Time”
“The French classic spent almost fourteen years. Over the years, he wrote about one and a half million words, and such productivity has its own secret: in order not to be distracted and not wait in vain for inspiration to deign to descend on him, Proust locked himself in his own bedroom, where he spent several days at a time. Moreover, so that the outside world would not disturb the silence, he ordered the walls of the room to be covered with balsa wood - the material was supposed to completely isolate the room from extraneous sounds. The result of voluntary imprisonment was a masterpiece of world literature.
George Sand - did not sleep at night and ate chocolate
“I do literature like others do gardening”
Turgenev admired her novels
Prosper Merimee
went crazy about her , and the entire high society of Paris was looking forward to her new books, on which the inimitable George Sand worked exclusively at night. Contrary to the popular belief that it is in the dark that inspiration descends on a true artist, the novelist, apparently, was very burdened by her habit. To stay awake and complete her daily quota (about twenty pages), she ate chocolate and washed it down with warm milk. Categorically rejecting the harmful addictions of her fellow writers, which included alcohol and opium, the writer only occasionally allowed herself to smoke a cigarette, other times making do with sweets.
Khaled Hosseini - writes even when you don't feel like it
“I’ve met so many people who told me, ‘I have a great idea for a novel,’ and never published a line. It may sound trite, but to become a writer, you need to write."
An American novelist with Afghan roots, the author of A Thousand Splendid Suns, is sure that there is nothing more criminal for a writer than to abandon a text he has begun without bringing it to an impeccable state. In one of his many interviews, the prose writer noted that for him, writing is, first of all, the art of rewriting: first you need to work on a draft, and then supplement it with new thoughts, observations and important nuances that can arise in the mind only at the moment of rereading.
In addition, Hosseini believes that it is useless to wait for inspiration - it usually comes during work. The writer also advises focusing on only one reader - yourself, because it is almost impossible to guess what other people expect from you. Find a topic that gives you goosebumps and write whether you feel like it at the moment or not, because great goals are achieved only through perseverance and hard work.
Kurt Vonnegut - squats and push-ups
“If a person has become a writer, it means that he has taken on a sacred responsibility: that he has the strength to create beauty, to bring light and consolation to people.”
The author of the novel Slaughterhouse No. 5 was not original in his methods. Just like Murakami, Vonnegut adhered to a strict regime: he would rise before sunrise and immediately sit down at his typewriter, then leave the house or swim in the pool, and in addition, he would often punctuate his walks with a glass of scotch at a nearby bar. However, Vonnegut considered physical exercise to be the main way to force himself to return to work and overcome the fear of a blank sheet.
To cheer up and find the right thought, the American did squats and push-ups several times. He even wrote to his wife about his warm-ups. For example, in a letter dated 1965, he mentions: “I do squats and push-ups whenever I have a free minute, which allows me to feel my body becoming lean and muscular. However, maybe I’m overestimating my results.”
Where to go for inspiration? Where can I find an idea for a drawing?
Prepare yourself a fragrant warming drink in your favorite cup, stock up on a couple of butter cookies and open the Internet. We go to Pinterest or to the Crafts Fair.
It is no coincidence that I singled out these two Internet portals. They are aimed not only at realizing the creative work of many masters in various industries (hand made), but also at generating ideas for inspiration to create new works. Registering for them is not difficult; the interface is intuitive. After creating a profile, one or another site will automatically prompt you to select areas of interest or set the parameters yourself.
Thus, you can search Pinterest for “winter pictures” or “photos of winter nature” at the Crafts Fair and find some inspiring references for your future drawing.
If you haven’t drawn anything for a long time and are not confident in your abilities, you can also find drawing instructions and even entire video courses there.
I understand that on weekends not everyone has a great desire to search for something on the Internet or generate ideas for creativity, so I have compiled for you a checklist of materials for drawing and ideas for implementation.
So, let's begin!
Where to get inspiration for writing a book
Creating a book is a huge job that requires impeccable skill and imagination. Sometimes inspiration is needed, it cannot be cultivated artificially - it is a gift, a state of mind. Fortunately, the creators of the pen have tried many ways to help find it. Let's look at where you can get inspiration for writing a book. Here are the top 5 tips.
Listen to others
Have you run out of ideas? Be attentive to people's conversations in public places. Sometimes they can tell each other about something that will cause mental delight and surprise. Use the information to fuel your creative impulse. Write down unique phrases - this will help enrich your vocabulary, and thanks to this, the characters of the work will sparkle with a variety of colors.
Step back
No matter how much you love a novel or story, sometimes it's worth putting it aside and doing something else. This is especially true when a creative block comes and you don’t know in which direction to develop the action further. After a while, return to your work, try to look at it as objectively and detachedly as possible, as if you were a spoiled reader.
"Mix Me"
Write on pieces of paper the names of the characters, different scenarios for the development of the same story. Mix it all up and try to play with the facts, turn the plot upside down and make it unpredictable even for yourself.
Enlighten yourself
Try watching as many movies as possible for inspiration. Go to exhibitions, listen to music, leaf through glossy magazines, visit places filled with a unique atmosphere, some bohemian or atypical establishments. At one point, a light bulb will light up above your head, which will show the way to inspiration.
Stop thinking - relax
After all, sometimes you have to say no to workaholism. Instead of torturing yourself once again, allow yourself to have plenty of rest. Believe me, even while doing nothing, great authors came up with the best thoughts. Rest will help you tone yourself up and step away from difficulties for a while. Try going to some wilderness. Through silence and tranquility, inspiration may well reach you and, upon returning, you will begin to create with renewed vigor.
We hope our tips will help at least a little dispel the longing for inspiration and not despair if a creative crisis suddenly comes to visit.
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How to find inspiration
What can become a source of inspiration, what will give us a state that is characterized by the ease of movement of thoughts and images, their clarity and completeness, deep experiences, when all cognitive processes are particularly productive? People get inspiration from various sources.
Breaking your comfort zone, difficulties and challenges. When the comfort zone is violated, a person has a desire to return to a comfortable state again. Overcoming obstacles gives satisfaction and inspires you to new achievements.
Cognitive dissonance or psychological contradictions. Absolutely all people from time to time experience a state of mental discomfort caused by a clash in their minds of conflicting ideas: ideas, beliefs, values or emotional reactions. If dissonance occurs, the individual will strive with all his might to reduce the degree of discrepancy between his two attitudes, trying to achieve consonance. This serves as a source of inspiration.
Sublimation is the switching of psychic energy from one state to another. According to Sigmund Freud, during sublimation, instinctive (mostly sexual) energy is switched into non-instinctive forms of behavior. In other words, sublimation is the transformation of erotic unsatisfied desire, feeling into creative activity.
Love is one of the most powerful sources of inspiration. Often love as a source of creative impulse is identified only with sublimation, but this is not always the case. Love is not always a reflection of sexual attraction. For example, a mother loves her child, and this is associated with the desire to care for and protect the object of her love. Many great achievements were made in the name of love, and poets were inspired by their muses, whose women they truly loved.
Reading. Books are a source of wisdom. Reading is a long-term investment in your development. By reading books, we constantly accumulate ideas, opinions, points of view, quotes and symbols, so that we can then begin to work inspired.
Trips. Trips to new cities and countries, like books, always bring new impressions, emotions and an excellent source of inspiration. Often the most interesting ideas come to us during long trips.
Nature. Its diversity and colors have inspired people at all times. In an urban environment, the influence of nature can be significant: just get out of the city and you will feel a surge of strength and emotional uplift.
Successful people. There may be successful people in your environment, try to communicate with them as much as possible, adopting their way of thinking and acting. Also, the success of world famous people can serve as an example and inspire. It could be a banal feeling of envy or, for example, sincere admiration - in any case, someone else's success can motivate us to work harder and better.
Music and other art forms. They evoke a lot of emotions and associations in us, help us break away from everyday life, and become a source of creativity. Painting, poetry (poetry), music, theater, cinema, opera.
Family and close friends are a source of inspiration, essentially love, but also a sense of kinship, something of one’s own. We are owners by nature and value our family and friends, are inspired by them, and do significant things for their sake.
Self-knowledge. Studying human nature, diving into our motives and emotions, often helps us learn a lot about ourselves, including how to motivate and inspire ourselves.
Sport. In a healthy body healthy mind. Sport affects our external beauty, and also awakens some physical and chemical processes in the body, which can give strength for creation. For example, an evening jog can energize you and inspire creativity.
Children. Communicating with children and participating in their upbringing, we often see ourselves in them. We rejoice at their successes as if they were our own; we are fueled by their irrepressible energy and their pure mind.
Memories. You can evoke the feelings you need for inspiration with memories; they can be different depending on what trace they left in your soul. The happiest moments of your life will help create a positive mood, and sad emotions will make you rethink what you experienced and start a new life.
Inspiration: what is it and what is it for?
First, let's look at the definition itself. According to dictionaries, inspiration is a special state into which a person is able to enter, and the signs of which are the highest emotional uplift, a surge of energy and strength, and high creative productivity. Describing their feelings in moments of inspiration, many creators claim that they feel the state of a flow carrying you: you cannot always understand what is happening, you are not able to specifically predict the future and you are not aware of how much time has passed. That is, such a “wave” can last for five minutes, an hour, or a day, and, regardless of its duration, a person does not feel other urgent needs - the only one that remains is the need to create. You've probably heard that creative people, in a fit of inspiration, can forget about sleep, food, and not notice anyone or anything around them.
Also, in a state of creative inspiration, a person becomes very charismatic and strong, able to influence other people and lead them. In addition, in this special state, various enlightenments and insights often come to creators, ideas that arise from no one knows where. Most people say that in a burst of inspiration they notice the extraordinary ease of movement of images and thoughts; they become clearer and amaze with their completeness and brightness. Mental experiences intensify, become very deep and comprehensive.
Experts explain this condition by a special acceleration of all cognitive processes - perception, memory, thinking. For creative people, inspiration often feels like an obsession, as if something had “found” - a person is engaged in only one art, forgetting about everything in the world, until the moment the work is completed. If a person is thinking about solving some difficult problem, inspiration can come to him in the form of an unexpected insight: how is it possible, he thought about the question for hours, could not come up with anything, and then - once - a click, and the whole picture became clear, as good as day! All the puzzles came together, and I immediately understood how to do the right thing and resolve this issue.
All these examples are given here in order to clarify one simple truth: inspiration is needed not only by creative people. Often it will not interfere with even the most routine tasks, such as sorting through documentation or putting things in order in the apartment.
In fact, it is not so important what you need to do: write a poem, come up with a new business idea, prepare a presentation, or simply plan your work tasks correctly. In all these things, a breath of new strength and inspiration would not be out of place, right?
