Often times, I find myself struggling to conceptualize what it is I should write about. Dancing from topic to topic, it becomes difficult for me to land on the ideas I truly want to expand upon. Yet there are moments I find inspiration in the littlest of things. So, instead of focusing on any one of the countless microcosms of my life that I could explore, I would like to touch upon my experience with inspiration.

Sadness, along with the rest of the pantheon of emotions, can serve as quite the catalyst for inspiration. Even the banalest of griefs has stirred something in me. Yet while unhappiness’s inspiring qualities have long been touted, I believe it is best to focus on the more obscure of inspirations.

Oddly enough, I find much inspiration in the media I consume. Now, I don’t mean to say that I adopt whatever narrative is being communicated by said media, but rather, I tend to grasp onto the atmosphere which that media produces. Lyrics are the usual culprits in my case. I’ve always been an immense fan and consumer of music, so my admiration for unique lyricism has developed gradually as my exposure to new types of music has increased.

Naturally, my consumption of music steadily established a sort of desire in me to create my very own compositions. Early on, I wasn’t so great. I don’t even think I’m all that great right now, but I have found by digesting and attempting to emulate the artists I admire most in the art I produce, the quality of my work undeniably improves.

Sometimes, I will be having a conversation with one of my peers or I will be attending one of my classes and someone utters a phrase I find remarkable. Granted, though these interesting phrases are rarely my own, I have found using terms like “ghost in the machine” and “respect the wishbone” fantastic creative jumping off points. Almost any eccentric combination of words can somehow be manipulated into a greater, more fleshed out piece of art. Rarely do I find myself completing any sort creative piece using this technique, but it is always good to get the juices flowing for future projects.

By opening myself to various inputs of inspiration, some of which I have outlined, I have found myself becoming more in tune with both the world around me and the writing I produce. All I’ve had to do to be successful in this pursuit is try to complete whatever I set out to accomplish (though this is often quite difficult). Getting inspired by one sentence or phrase or sound can at first be intimidating, but in the end, when you find yourself staring back at your finished product, it can feel incredibly rewarding. Everything can be used as inspiration, even what at first may seem like a useless, stupid thought.