This quote,   "If you feel inspired, act on it"  I ran across stuck with me for several weeks. In those weeks, and even now, I ponder that directive. Where does inspiration come from? And more importantly, how do I get more of it? I know I want create beautiful photographs that are worthy of framing and display, but sometimes (well often) I get stuck and uninspired for long stretches.  And sometimes a magical inspiration comes over me and I do create something that I find amazing.  But this message "to act" is just so obvious and simple: "If you feel inspired, act on it". It doesn't even have to be artistic, you can be inspired to organize your bathroom drawer or make cookies, but I think in that fleeting moment of inspiration, our minds open and we become willing, and we should all make a habit of acting. I am certain I have forgotten some brilliant ideas, because I didn't act. Maybe it seemed ludicrous or silly or wasteful, or maybe I could not find an immediate use for it, perhaps I was just in a hurry that day. But, now when I feel inspired, I am going to act on it or least scribble out my ideas in my notebook, and keep coming back to it until it grows into something I love. It does feel really good to create something beautiful.

Tiny yellow flowers growing in the desert outside of Grand Junction in the little book cliffs. Click on the image to view images in the gallery

Creativity in Action

For me, to foster an idea, I must move out of the orbit of my closest influencers and allow time to explore my creativity, to let an idea bloom, blossom, grow wild, like a vine that simply flourishes, without expectations or an adherence to a specific design. In my space, in my time, I simply allow my thoughts to be mine, forming ideas, wandering around the concept to examine its shape and flow. There are no confines, no expectations, no directions from others to incorporate, consider or wrestle. This place is where I am free to create and its truly wonderful. It may be beautiful in its meandering form or it may be hideously malformed and out of balance, but without the influence of other humans in my life (even the most highly regarded) and their ideas, preconceived notions and pressure to influence, the vines of ideas and creativity and growth most simply. are. All growth is my belongs to me which means I can maneuver to create something of my own without bumping into someone else. After my brilliant idea and I have meandered, grown and taken shape, I am free to trim, revise, adapt, and mold the growth into something tangible, artful or useful, while remaining independent.



And then, when ready, but not final, I float the project out there and allow the creation to be seen, to be judged and experienced by others, and this is the time that I am able to allow the idea to be malleable to be influenced and to let others in. The viewpoint of practically anyone brings perspective, and I can use that to improve or maybe even flat reject other ideas. I find this part of the "act on it" to be crucial, since I don't know everything (despite what I may imply) and the input of those with specific experience truly do contribute to my own growth. For the vine growing wild, maybe it is fertilizer, rain, bugs or sunshine that impacts the final flowering, and for a creative project it is experience, knowledge and perspective that can be gathered to transform inspiration into something beautiful.

Logo on White

Brenda Colwell

Photographer, Equestrian, Airstream Enthusiast

 970-729-1026  

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