If you always do what you’ve always done

The advantage of a creative person is that there are many sources of inspiration. If we always drink water from one source, then one day it will not satisfy us.

There are many critics of social media, and many, many things to be critical of; however, I embrace some well-known ‘places’, I’m ‘on’ several sites, to fond and follow news of friends I know, and information and photos of places I love or would love to visit, ditto food and recipes, cooks and cooking, and then people I’ve somehow ‘met’ through these places, and unexpected and random pages. I’ve found music, I’ve found poetry, I’ve found art, travel advice… I think I might find life dull without it, dull and narrow. I have to say I’m not glued to these sites, I have a busy normal life, and a small corner of it is in the mysterious ether of hyper-space.

I follow a few Armenian sites, some on cookery and food some on travel, some on Armenian calligraphy. It was on one calligrapher’s site that I came across a series of photos and some autobiographical writing which as it was in Armenian I couldn’t understand. Another wonder of the internet, Google translate – yes, I know it’s not perfect but it gives a good idea of what’s been written in a language you don’t know. He was not just talking about his life, but also about art and I have quoted from what he said above.

“The advantage of a creative person is that there are many sources of inspiration.” Inspiration is everywhere, everything you see, everything you hear, you taste, you smell, you feel, you sense – everything can inspire and kick-start something creative. Even in a place of some sensory deprivation, a dark silent room, there are the images, the sounds you can conjure in your mind, the tastes, aromas and odours you can remember. the feelings and senses you can imagine. For a creative person – and anyone can become creative, inspiration is everywhere.

If we always drink water from one source, then one day it will not satisfy us. Just because we are creative and imaginative, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t seek out new experiences – of course we should, otherwise our creativity and imagination becomes dull and repetitive. This is why I’ve started the Start Writing Fiction course – I want to think about things, see things, write about things in a fresh way! My husband has a quote which ties in with this idea: If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got!

Thanks to PJS for the wonderful featured image