A place you go to seek inspiration

Q&A With Shay Every Other Sunday

I took a bit of an unintended hiatus from all things “online presence” for the majority of the summer. I’ve been feeling pretty burnt out lately so I gave myself permission to just take the time I needed and focus on other things. Usually I don’t allow myself that, putting too much pressure, but I needed a reset. Now, I’m ready to return to my Q&A blogs, my social media, newsletter, and all that comes with the writing world! (For the most part.) So, I figured talking about inspiration this week would be fitting, especially because sometimes it’s hard to find any inspiration at all, but that doesn’t last forever.

Q: A place you go to seek inspiration?

A: Most writers who have been at it for a while know that you can’t wait for inspiration to strike in order to write. I also feel like the term “inspiration” is a little misleading or incorrect because even when I feel inspired, I don’t often actually channel that inspiration into writing in that moment. It’s not like you see on TV where a writer character has an a-ha moment and runs to the computer and types away for hours…or days (ahem, Jane the Virgin—still a great show for the most part, and aside from the whole Michael thing). At least it doesn’t ever happen that way for me, maybe some writers do experience that type of inspiration, though. I’ll jot down (type in my phone) notes when an inspired idea pops into my head, but often those moments don’t even have anything to do with the physical space I’m in at that time.

I take inspiration more as a feeling that comes from within, where you feel a little lighter, at peace, and gain clarity, which maybe makes other areas of your life feel clearer and more connected. But inspiration never directly equals writing for me. However, those lighter and inner peaceful moments are certainly important, as is clarity for the writing process. And there are a few places that typically bring me that feeling.

The one place I always feel inspired (most peaceful) is the ocean. Particularly the ocean in my hometown Hampton Bays, but the ocean in general is a place I feel like I can just breathe easier. Nature in general has this effect on me. So, when I put down my phone and distractions and just soak in the nature around me, a calm fills me that I don’t achieve elsewhere. I do think that disconnecting from electronics can be really important to finding inspiration. There’s a lot of good that comes with technology, but it is certainly a double-edged sword and it rarely, if ever, brings feelings of peace, which is what I need most to feel a level of inspiration. Whether I’m walking with my dog, running, sitting and drinking coffee on the deck, laying and soaking up the sun, shutting my eyes in the breeze, inhaling the salt air, getting shocked by the cold water of the ocean, being outside and experiencing nature is not a feeling that can be duplicated anywhere else. For this reason I’d probably say I feel less inspired in the winter, but at the same time, it’s nice to be cozy and hunkered down with a hot drink or by the fireplace while writing. And experiencing nature from the window is still inspiring—especially if you aren’t outside freezing in it!

In terms of finding inspiration for the writing and creating process, I find looking to other art and people can produce ideas and clarity. A lot of writers will say that when they feel stuck or uninspired with their writing, they’ll read. Ever since I started writing more seriously, reading has become a different experience for me and now with every single book I read, and even show or movie I watch, it conjures up ideas that make me think about what I’m working on or about future projects; even if it’s an idea that seems totally unrelated, connections are made.

Sometimes we aren’t open to inspiration due to technology and devices and all the distractions that exist around us, so tuning in and making those moments come to us is important to remember. And other times, whether it be because of our mindset or other circumstances, there simply is no inspiration. And that’s okay to accept (though not always easy). I know when that happens to me I just feel exhausted and unmotivated, even talentless, but we just have to go with the ups and downs because there’s no other choice. Inspiration comes and inspiration goes. Finding places of peacefulness and calm, whether it be physically or within the mind, will eventually bring it back. This summer, I have had to go with the downs until they started making their way up again, and I’m starting to feel back on track, or close to the track maybe. I suspect no one is inspired 100% of the time. There is no uncracked secret to inspiration in my experience.

What places do you go to in order to find inspiration, and what do you think of the idea of inspiration as a whole?