Inspiration is a powerful force. It’s that moment in Limitless, where Bradley Cooper‘s character suddenly starts seeing the world with complete clarity.
When we‘re inspired, our fears become insignificant, our worries disappear, and ideas start pouring in from every direction. And they‘re all good ideas. It can sometimes feel almost overwhelming. To work in a state of inspiration is something I wish everyone in the world could experience at least once.
And yet, as precious and wonderful as it is, that kind of transformative inspiration we see in movies or read about in books rarely comes to us when we wait for it. Have you ever felt a spark to create something wonderful, whether it be a painting, a story, a video game, an album, or a movie, but decided to work on it some other time, when you‘re more prepared, skilled, or inspired?
Photo by Tamirlan Maratov on Unsplash
That moment of hesitation is an incredibly important one and it contains a choice. The real reason why we wait for inspiration is fear. We fear the ominous blank page. The empty project file, the clean canvas. We know about the millions of possibilities, but those wane compared to the terrifying prospect of failure. And our beautiful contribution to the world is yet again postponed. But the world does need it.
Photo by Norbert Levajsics @levajsics on Unsplash
My advice is this: simply begin. Just sit down (or not), grab whatever tools you need to start, and do it. It‘s not a test, nor a contest, you don‘t need to compare yourself to anyone, all you need to do is start. Write down the first word, make the first mark with your brush, open up Blender and make a box. Take the first step.
Babies don‘t start running before they‘ve learned to walk, and they don‘t start walking before they‘ve learned to stand up. And to learn the ways of the baby, one must become the baby. So if you‘re at the beginning of your creative journey, be the baby. Start with baby steps. If you‘ve done this before, take larger ones. Get back into the groove. See where that takes you and focus on the journey.
Photo by Anastasia Petrova on Unsplash
Stop worrying about the outcome and explore ideas without judgment. Let go and go wild. Don‘t even look at what you‘ve created after you‘re done. Focus on the process. Results will come, it‘s only a matter of time and effort. In creativity, we should celebrate the process. We should celebrate that we were able to look fear in the eyes and say: out of my way, I have a stickman to draw.
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
The beginning of learning any skill is always the hardest part. The further down the path you go, the easier it gets. And the more you do it, the higher your chances to find inspiration, as most of the time, inspiration is a result of work and luck. I say don‘t wait for it to create. Find the courage to take the first step and keep going. Follow the spark, and let inspiration find you. If you‘re lucky, it will, and when it does, you‘ll be ready.
About Martynas Eidukevičius
Martynas Eidukevičius is a freelance illustrator and music composer from Vilnius, Lithuania. Besides being a double agent, he enjoys the process of learning and sharing his findings with the world. Martynas uses his Wacom Intuos Pro tablet to create his art, which can be found here:
Martynas Eidukevičius on Instagram | Martynas Eidukevičius on Behance
Cover photo by Rana Sawalha on Unsplash
