On feeling inspired

This morning, I feel inspired. 
It doesn't often happen but when it does it's worth celebrating. In fact, though, I would say that most of the time I feel anything but inspired and I'm sure that is true for most of us. So, how do you get those creative juices flowing? Here are some suggestions:

1. Music. 
Listen to a cantata by JS Bach. There are plenty to choose from, so you can listen to a different one every day. There is a fantastic series of recordings by John Elliot Gardiner (Amazon link) available on audio CD and later volumes are available as MP3 (Amazon link). Music unlocks my mind. Music like JS Bach disentangles and re-orders pathways in my brain.

2. Words.
Read a scene from one of Shakespeare's plays, or read one of his sonnets. You can find the sonnets on-line, for example, at Shakespeares-Sonnets and the plays at Shakespeare Online. The rhythm of the pattern of the words releases rhythms in our own bodies and we become more attuned to ourselves. This releases our own words when we start to write or to do whatever we are doing.

3. Activity.
Go for a brisk walk and a short jog. Physical activity gets the blood flowing and, more importantly, it gets the blood flowing to our brains; and the deeper breathing induced by the activity helps transport oxygen and energy to where it's most needed. At the moment, in the field behind our house, the lambs are at the age where they gather in gangs to chase and run about, jumping, skipping and leaping. It is great fun to watch. It is a visual paradigm of Spring and inspiration. Try this little YouTube video to see what I mean; from Trulithian - Gambolling Lambs.

4. Water.
Drink three glasses of cold water. Water refreshes and cleans our body and mind from the inside, washing out the toxins that lurk deep in our cells and liberating our biochemistry to support and not hinder our mental processes. You know what water looks like. Images from Yahoo!

5. Smile.
Go on. Look in the mirror and smile. An article from Scientific American (below) based on research at Cardiff University suggests that the actual act of smiling makes us feel better and more positive.  

Smile! It Could Make You Happier. Making an emotional face--or suppressing one--influences your feelings. Melinda Wenner.

And if we feel more positive, we will feel more inspired.

These are a few suggestions and you can modify them as you will but perhaps, underlying them all, is this basic set of ideas :

1. Listen
2. Read
3. Walk and run
4. Drink plenty of water
5. Smile 

Have fun. Be inspired.

Ends