When was the last time you felt inspired? For some of you this may have been a year ago, perhaps a month ago, or maybe even a few moments ago. What inspired you? The past few days have been pretty inspiring for me artistically, and I have quite enjoyed the thrill of the ideas just flowing and the purpose of my hand in each stroke of the pencil. About a month ago, however, this wasn’t the case for me.

To understand a bit about this you must know, I have a hard time being alone. When I don’t have people around me when I’m awake I easily fall into depression. This is part of the reason I LOVE school so very much. When I go to school I have people around me even if I don’t know them. There are my friends as well who I enjoy the company of even more! A month ago it was the dead of summer vacation and most of the time people were working or out of town. If they weren’t I would convince myself that they didn’t want me to bother them. So I ate, went to work, and slept day in and day out. In this rut, I was the opposite of inspired.

One message. A single little tiny message inspired me at this time. My best friend had responded to a heartfelt compliment I gave him on Facebook with an astounding complement that floored me. I just felt so incredibly important and loved that I wanted to share something, anything! What do I share best? My meager talents with a piece of paper and a pencil. The photo you can see at the head of this article is actually what I drew at this time. It obviously isn’t finished, and though I am not the best artist I am sharing this with you. A picture is worth a thousand words. Take a moment to see the words spoken to you through it and contemplate them.

We are all inspired in different ways. My inspiration at this time was a wonderfully kind comment from a friend, at other times it is a fun idea to share with others. What brings you out of your ruts? I have noticed since the complement my best friend gave me I have been able to look back to how I felt and find a sliver of inspiration now! With people now around me that boost me up and push me to be stronger my inspiration at this time has begun to flow more freely.

So back to our questions at the beginning. When was the last time you felt inspired? Think about the feelings you had. The warmth that spread through you or the excitement that bubbled up and remember them. What inspired you? Look for what brought that inspiration and seek it out. There is so much for you to share and do. I personally can’t wait for the world to see just how inspiring you truly are.