A short video with thoughts on where inspiration and creativity come from + 7 tips on how to find inspiration.
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WRITTEN WORD:
Since the beginning of time, humans have been imagining, dreaming, and creating the impossible and the unreal. It’s a calling we all must answer in one way or another; the timeworn call to build, invent, explore, innovate, and create. Because it’s in our DNA, strung into the very fibers which make us human.
You’ll find it in hidden in ruins, ancient and curious. Feel it resonate throughout the natural world, wondrous and frightening. Remember it in rhythm and sound. What we’re talking about here is what has been swept behind a misty veil of worlds long past, it’s the lost and found origins of our humanity.
This bewildering and staggering collection of things dreamt, built, and created by mankind is your origin story. No matter what you look like, how much or little you have, or where you come from – we’re all human. From the ancient pyramids of Giza to the Eiffel Tower, our human ancestors built the world we live in today. This ability to be inspired and to create something from nothing exists in each and every one of us. Never forget that.
Inspiration is a tricky thing. Throughout history, we have tried to pin it down, summon it from the shadows, bottle it, and call it down from the heavens. It’s had many names: Óðr, muse, daemon, Pythia, angel, and straight-up divine intervention. It’s there when you’d least like it, and in the wind the moment you need it. Maybe you’ll get lucky and hear a tune carried by the wind and capture it before it disappears. Or a vivid dream will wake you up in the middle of the night, leaving you inspired and compelled. But sometimes, in the words of Jack London, “You can’t wait for Inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”
7 STEPS TO HELP YOU CHASE DOWN INSPIRATION:
1. Acknowledge that art & fear go hand in hand, because nothing is the opposite of creation. A blank piece of paper, billboard, or canvas all represent nothing. And let’s face it – absolute nothingness is pretty much terrifying.
2. You will make mistakes, have bad ideas, and even hard fail at times. And that’s totally normal and OK so long as you try, try again.
3. When you find inspiration is hiding from you, summon it with the ancient power of ritual. Light a scented candle, burn smokey incense, lower the lights, and play alluring music. Tempt it into your life.
4. Go out into the wilderness, stargaze on the roof of your car, and walk down crooked allies. The most inspiring thing in this world, is the world itself.
5. Find a live performance to go to, stop and listen to the musicians busking on the street, or watch a movie. Kinetic energy sparks creativity into life.
6. Take a big breath and put it all on pause. Sit quietly in peace, carve out a cozy nook to read in, or visit somewhere sacred to you.
7. Last but not least, never stop creating & never give up.
RESEARCH:
Where Does Creativity Come From
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/creativity_b_4440941
Run Away Species
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/where-do-new-ideas-come-from-180965202/
Evolution of Human Artistic Creativity
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2815939/
Creative Collaboration is What Humans Do Best
https://www.thecut.com/2017/03/how-imagination-makes-us-human.html
Elizabeth Gilbert: Is Creativity Divinely Inspired?
https://lateralaction.com/articles/elizabeth-gilbert-creativity-divine-inspiration/
50 Ways to Find Inspiration
https://tinybuddha.com/blog/50-ways-to-find-inspiration-create-explore-expand/
Why Inspiration Matters
https://hbr.org/2011/11/why-inspiration-matters
Inspire Instead of Motivate
NOTATION: The truth is that I worked for Uber in Oregon for 1 year, and I’ve been an on and off Uber rider since they launched where I was. And while there are many things to love about Uber, there are some things that just… aren’t… that… great. I’m personally not a fan, but I find myself using it anyways.
NOTATION: The idea is that people make anonymous, online confessions about their driving. This Uber: Billboard Confessions is based on people admitting what really caused them to get into an accident. Uber “
NOTATION: The idea is to anonymously submit confessions about things you shouldn’t have done as a driver. This Uber: Billboard Confessions is inspired by admitting you were a bad driver. Uber does the driving for you and does the rest of us a favor.
NOTATION: The idea is to start a social media campaign where people anonymously submit anecdotal confessions about dumb, regretful, or embarrassing things they’ve done as a driver. The campaign will connect people on a humorous and human level while not so subtly pointing out that some people should just Uber everywhere. Uber “
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NOTATION: The idea is that Uber 
MY PROJECT 54 
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