I Don’t Need Inspiration

“I don’t need inspiration…I make it.”

That’s what my buddy Joe Cavazos said. I love it! He may have said it jokingly but I think there is such truth in that statement.

Too many artists sit around waiting for inspiration to strike. They wander through Pinterest or Dribbble, looking for something to get the creative juices flowing. Unfortunately, when those juices don’t start flowing, artists get discouraged. They get depressed. They start thinking they’re worthless and that the creative well is dried up.

But inspiration is all around us. Seriously, open your eyes. You don’t need inspiration. You need to create. You need to make something happen.

We need to get over this “inspiration” myth. There are more brilliant ideas than there are artists to capture them. There are more opportunities and inspirations than we could possibly consume.

Inspiration is not the problem. Action is the problem.

We can’t afford to hope inspiration strikes. We have to muscle through the hesitancy to create. We have to push through the resistance and put aside our insecurities. That’s the way greatness happens – through sweat equity and constant editing.

A create spark is great. But it’s extinguished quickly. A bonfire is built through carefully stacking the wood and kindling the flame. We want a creative bonfire. We need to do the work and turn our actions into a glorious flame of creativity.

“I don’t need inspiration…I make it.”

I’m making my own inspiration. Are you? Are you fanning the flame of creativity in your life or are you waiting for the elusive spark of inspiration to come?

I encourage you. Make your inspiration. Develop the muscles to create even when you don’t feel like it. That’s where great art is made – through the wrestle and the struggle.

[Photo Credit]