How does it work for you?
Several weeks (possibly months, who knows these days) ago, I read a post by one of my favorite authors, Kelly Link, about the things that inspire her creative mojo. I liked the list because it was so quintessentially her, if one is familiar with her writing. I wish I could find the link right now, but as I don't think I've converted any of my flisters to Kelly Link fanatics, it would probably not matter.
But it has recently got me wondering. What is it that inspires my creative mojo? I'm not just talking about writing creativity, though that certainly is a part of it. Or art, though that too is inspired by certain odd things. I'm talking about those things, thoughts, ideas, random sights, unusual encounters, foods, music, books, places, people, any-fucking-thing that wakes up some part of my brain, makes me think a little differently, makes me want to write, or doodle, or have long, manaical conversations in the dark (which is a type of creativity, if one thinks about it).
The problem with grad school of doom is it mainly engages only part of my brain. I will have to be creative, especially when determining the best methods of dealing with different clients, but that is long enough down the road that right now my focus is still on the academic aspects of learning this stuff. Memorization, theory, quieting my inner demons and such. Last night, I was wondering when the last time I felt like doing anything even remotely creative and I could recall it clearly: someone posted a painting on io9 that I found compelling, if a little drab; I printed it out, pasted it into my journal, modded it to my liking, and retitled it: I Would Even Welcome the Wolf. It's pretty cool. I did it six months ago. Wow, that long.
But I know there are other things, other moments, thoughts, items, themes, sounds that cause a spark to ignite. Sometimes I am either too preoccupied, or too self-involved to notice. But those other times, those times when I feel vaguely not here, like I should be out there, doing...something, and then I finally get down and act on it? Oh, man.
So here is my list:
crows, especially when several are squawking at once
hearing voices speaking in languages I cannot recognize having heated conversations
lizard mating rituals
a certain turn of phrase
magic
mysticism
Jewish prayer
math
string theory
beasts who turn into men and the women who love them
wolves
tigers
stories about women who travel alone
tea
a slip of moon
the smell of comic books
the smell of scotch
the smell of the woods
music, any music, all kinds of music (except pop music, pop music inspires me to laziness)
animal-people
amoral faeries and premoral gods
the desert - though I haven't been since I was 4
dragons
and?
And?
And?
What's on your list?
But it has recently got me wondering. What is it that inspires my creative mojo? I'm not just talking about writing creativity, though that certainly is a part of it. Or art, though that too is inspired by certain odd things. I'm talking about those things, thoughts, ideas, random sights, unusual encounters, foods, music, books, places, people, any-fucking-thing that wakes up some part of my brain, makes me think a little differently, makes me want to write, or doodle, or have long, manaical conversations in the dark (which is a type of creativity, if one thinks about it).
The problem with grad school of doom is it mainly engages only part of my brain. I will have to be creative, especially when determining the best methods of dealing with different clients, but that is long enough down the road that right now my focus is still on the academic aspects of learning this stuff. Memorization, theory, quieting my inner demons and such. Last night, I was wondering when the last time I felt like doing anything even remotely creative and I could recall it clearly: someone posted a painting on io9 that I found compelling, if a little drab; I printed it out, pasted it into my journal, modded it to my liking, and retitled it: I Would Even Welcome the Wolf. It's pretty cool. I did it six months ago. Wow, that long.
But I know there are other things, other moments, thoughts, items, themes, sounds that cause a spark to ignite. Sometimes I am either too preoccupied, or too self-involved to notice. But those other times, those times when I feel vaguely not here, like I should be out there, doing...something, and then I finally get down and act on it? Oh, man.
So here is my list:
crows, especially when several are squawking at once
hearing voices speaking in languages I cannot recognize having heated conversations
lizard mating rituals
a certain turn of phrase
magic
mysticism
Jewish prayer
math
string theory
beasts who turn into men and the women who love them
wolves
tigers
stories about women who travel alone
tea
a slip of moon
the smell of comic books
the smell of scotch
the smell of the woods
music, any music, all kinds of music (except pop music, pop music inspires me to laziness)
animal-people
amoral faeries and premoral gods
the desert - though I haven't been since I was 4
dragons
and?
And?
And?
What's on your list?