Seeking Inspiration

You remember my previous post about how to become a genius?. I quoted Thomas Edisson, "Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration" What I left out is that finding that 1% Inspiration might be as hard as or if not harder than putting in that 99% perspiration.

The definition of inspiration as defined by Dictionary.com is: "Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity" but the definition I liked best of inspiration was that of spiritwritings.com which was: "a psychic state in which one becomes susceptible to creative spiritual influence or, to a varying degree, unwittingly lends oneself as an instrument for through-flowing ideas" . This is because I like to liken the recieving of inspiration to seeing the light (an internal awakening).

Sometimes I run out of inspiration for different things, from blogging topics to my next computer related project to how to start my assignments. Sometimes I go out of my way to seek inspiration, for me I need to break the flow I need to change my routine. Routine stagnates my mind, so these are a few methods I use to clear my mind:

1) Go to bed Thinking about what I want to solve.
Thats right, whenever I have a problem and I don't know where to start I lay on my bed with the intention of sleeping (to also calm my nerves) but sometimes if I am lucky I wake up with a clue or finally decide on the path I want to follow in tackling whatever the situation is.

2)Read a magazine
Many times when I am short on inspiration on designing a website, flyer or I am short of a blog topic. Magazines have never failed. Well published periodicals are filled with other peoples creativity which you can feed off and gain inspiration.

3)Put yourself in a random scenario
I go to places where there is talking but not to much noise that you cant think, just watching random interactions from people and events pop different Ideas into my head. Library and Coffee shops fpr example.

4)Colors
There is this place on the first floor of my school library which is called the Idea Factory (as if they knew) I can dare to say it is one of the most colorful places on campus, multi colored couches, abtract paintings on the walls, a flat screen tv in the corner and so many other things. The place is so busy that your mind processes a lot at once but at the same time so organised that you can see symetry in this madness. That kind of place is my ideal place to do homework. think and relax.

What are your own methods when you seek inspiration?