Where does inspiration come from?

Most creators, writers, composers, painters, photographers, have a preferred source, the root of their inspiration, a theme they go back to time and again. “And what is the basis for your work?” Indeed, good question. I briefly thought of some answers. The location, where we are, when, the people we meet, the places, public and hidden, but also what we read, what we hear, the sounds, the shapes, the scents. Images and sounds are often a starting point. Then come ideas, human beings, what is being said.

What is the inspiration for a novel?

“O, you are eclectic in your sources then! ” Well, yes, but larger pieces of work, for example a novel, not only require a starting point, an event, a dream, but also for this to mix, with many other impressions, memories, feelings, and time for imagination to work its magic. As Kipling wrote, “Drift, wait and obey” is the formula not to interfere too early. “And don’t forget the weather”, I added for good measure, and smiled generously.

And don’t forget the weather

It may sound like a joke, but those more distant factors influence our mood, and creative minds are sensible to those, or not, as the case of the “isolated tower” also exists: the creator living in a bubble, while the master piece comes to life. In the process, different in detail for most of us, skills determine the product. When we look back, read our earlier work, or look again at those pictures, we wonder, what inspired us, where did this idea come from?

Inspired by Fandango’s One Word Challenge of January 23rd, 2024

Picture source: Karen’s Dwell the Moods, the Witch