racoma.netI love to write. I write to live. I live to love.

photo credit: Anonymous Account

Thomas Edison said that genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. I can say that much is the same with creativity. You can only get so far with inspiration, but you actually have to do something about it in order to actually be creative. Creativity involves both the output and the process through which that output comes about.

This comes to my mind because of a few things I have noticed this week. I seem to be quite reactive to certain inputs that influence me. In particular, what I write about and what I do are often affected by some of the most mundane of things that I come across.

Watching a film the other day, for instance, has inspired me to pursue some things similar to actions done by the protagonist. This is largely in line with my profession, and I was able to relate to the protagonist very well. I would hope that outcomes are as positive in my case as it was in the film (which was biographical, therefore giving me much optimism).

Sometimes it’s obvious, but sometimes, the source of inspiration might not really be fully related to the choices and courses of action that I would do, but still relevant to some extent. I read an advertisement for a mobile service yesterday morning, which inspired me to do some hacks and tweaks on one mobile device I already own. Reading one thing had pushed me to do something. I was glad I succeeded this time, as I had actually been searching for answers and results since more than a year ago. Sometimes the answer can be glaringly obvious, but we always see past them.

Humans constantly react to various stimuli, after all. Inspiration is just one of them. Some would think of inspiration as being touched by a muse, having a vision, and being shown some secret of the universe that can only be bestowed on a chosen few. In reality, though, inspiration can come from the most mundane of things. Like Archimedes, you can get that Eureka! moment in the bath (it has certainly happened to me several times). You don’t need special things to be inspired. Look around you. Anything and everything can be a source of ideas and inspiration. It all depends on how you look at things, and how these affect you.

The question is how well do you react? And how do you react?