Bleeding Espresso

18 March 2007

sunday scribblings: inspiration

Prompt #51: Inspiration

Oh the irony that I vaguely posted on this subject a mere two days ago, and here I am ~~doomed~~ blessed to revisit inspiration once more.

I’m not going to lie to you. The first thing that came to my mind when I read this prompt was the 1984 heart-warming ditty of Chicago, “You’re the Inspiration.” But since I have no specific memories attached to that song other than singing obscenely loudly (hardly unique to this tune), let’s move on.

Let’s talk about writing. Again.

Many writers refer to their projects as their babies, and I feel the same. If we’re lucky, the reward is a healthy, well-composed baby, and the path to get there is paved with inspiration–great when it’s around, torturous when it’s in hiding.

For me, inspiration comes when it comes, and there’s just no amount of pushing that’s going to convince the baby to come out until it’s ready. (I’d say “good and ready,” but this writer certainly cannot guarantee goodness the first time around.)

As far as I know, there’s no writing inspiration equivalent of a C-section just yet, and doesn’t sound like a particularly enticing idea anyway, but I do hear that walking around sometimes helps move labor along; with writing, I have to agree with this tactic as well.

Breathing fresh air and connecting with other living things–people, animals, or simply nature in general–often gives me that extra push I need to complete something, to break through a mental block, to inspire me to continue. And this isn’t limited to just writing. That load of laundry that’s beginning to move by itself? The floor that hasn’t been mopped since B.O. (before Obama)? The layer of dust that blurs my niece and nephew’s photographed faces?

It’s not a sure thing, but all of these chores have a much better chance of being tackled after I reintroduce myself to the outdoors.

Procrastination? Nah. Inspiration!

And there’s no better time than Spring to drink in all the inspiration I can stand.

Bentornata primavera!

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Technorati Tags: inspiration, writing, spring, primavera, flowers, sunday scribblings

19 beans of wisdom »

19 beans of wisdom to “sunday scribblings: inspiration”

Cheeky on 18 Mar 2007 at 8:10 am #

I was sitting here editing all this “stuff” and there it was, my very first comment. yeah! I was excited to see that wee number 1 there.
How do you know so quickly? See this is all the stuff I am learning and figuring out.
BTW I love the new header and the colors. Looking fantastic.
How is Luna Balloona? She is so cute, more pictures please!
Vee on 18 Mar 2007 at 11:22 am #

Thanks for popping around on my blog.
I have lots of family and friends from Calabria. I have enjoyed what I have read on your blog so far and look forward to continue reading.

I suppose we are both working on getting our babies they are just a different kind of dream.
Good luck !
girlie on 18 Mar 2007 at 2:12 pm #

Well, since it appears you were up and blogging at 7 this morning, you’re already doing better than me! We’ve been revelling in Spring up here in Firenze as well. Of course, this means the return of the giant shuffling hordes as well… so we’re cutting out to Elba tomorrow.

I’m so glad to have found your blog! I hope you don’t mind if we link to you on ours.
J.Doe on 18 Mar 2007 at 2:54 pm #

Thar picture is wonderful.
sognatrice on 18 Mar 2007 at 3:11 pm #

Welcome Cheeky and Vee; I’ll be checking in with you later!

Girlie, I’ve linked to you as well–thanks! For any other expats reading, Girlie’s blog is wonderful with great stories and photos, and it’s outside of the “usual” expats circle, so check it out!

JDoe, glad you liked the photo
Nicole on 18 Mar 2007 at 3:48 pm #

taking time with inspiration. loving it and nesting it. those are key ideas.

and you are correct that signs of spring are a wonderful inspiration.
LinleyShea on 18 Mar 2007 at 5:21 pm #

thanks! i was actually only going to list a couple, but ended up with one thing after the other. the post even came as a supries to me!
hope all is well!! (:
bella on 18 Mar 2007 at 6:01 pm #

Beautiful. Just beautiful. The yellow in that flower, is lovely.
ps.. my package went out last week. It should take about 14 days.
paris parfait on 18 Mar 2007 at 7:24 pm #

Yes, spending time doing what inspires you is required before actually attempting to be creative. And that’s my story and I’m sticking to it (no, it’s not procrastination - it’s waiting until the time is right!)
Nadine on 18 Mar 2007 at 8:03 pm #

Inspiration comes for me in writing when I take a moment before I start and say a prayer. When I feel God’s presence the inspiration seems to flow through me and words just spill on the page. Well anyway…that’s just my method of writing.
thefirecat on 18 Mar 2007 at 8:37 pm #

Ah yes…..because no amount of pushing can do any good unless the baby wants to be born yet. And, frankly, usually has similar consequences in writing and the “birthing push.”

Sometimes impatience is my worst enemy. I always think that waiting for inspiration is “bad”–that I would never get anything done, otherwise. But now. Hmm. Now I realise that sometimes, just sometimes, if I jump inspiration, if I let something come out the end of my pen before it’s fully formed, it stays just that: premature. And, like a child who lags behind her peers growth-wise because she was seriously premature, a piece of writing never develops to its full potential. Because I can’t go back and “unbirth” it.

It’s not like a cake, that you can pop right back in the oven and let it finish cooking.

Hmmmm. This is intriguing. (and also somewhat alarming, since it’s now turning my thoughts on their ear.)
it's me, Val on 18 Mar 2007 at 9:15 pm #

Hi there . . . I love the picture . . . quite beautiful. I wanted to tell you thank you for visiting me like you do. I wanted to come over and check you out . . . I plan to add ya to my “friends” if you don’t mind? On another note, I didn’t know tomorrow is St. Joseph Day! Wow, so maybe it will come then?! I will hope and pray and then probably pray some more once “he” arrives! Happy day to you!
sognatrice on 18 Mar 2007 at 9:19 pm #

Hmm Firecat, I think maybe we’re talking about different stages of development/inspiration. I need inspiration to even get the preemie out (and, btw, both preemie babies and writing can most certainly catch up and even surpass the full-termers)! I think there’s a time and place to push through the pain, so to speak, with writing, and even though what comes out may not be perfect (in fact, it won’t be!), at least it’s something. If I were waiting for perfection to pop out, I would indeed be waiting forever.

Everyone has her own method of course (thanks for sharing yours Nadine!), and what works for me may not work for you. That’s the beauty of prompts/posts like this–we start looking at ways other people work and analyzing our own techniques, what works, what doesn’t, and we go from there.

Best of luck, and thanks for visiting!
Tammy on 18 Mar 2007 at 10:07 pm #

I love the way you connected your writing inspiration to labor. lol Your blog looks great and congrats nonna!
Waspgoddess on 18 Mar 2007 at 11:23 pm #

love your new look. did you take the photo?
KG on 19 Mar 2007 at 1:53 am #

I like all of your tie-ins to nature and walking around. There’s a great quotation — can’t recall who said it — that goes something like: “Angels speak to those who walk.” This is so true!
Tori on 19 Mar 2007 at 3:58 pm #

Great reflections!
I am so glad to have found your blog through Sunday Scribblings!
I am looking forward to doing some archive reading!
Frances on 19 Mar 2007 at 4:28 pm #

Thanks so much for visiting.
I agree - a good dose of the outdoors does get the juices flowing. Love the flowers and the way your blog is looking.
Waving at you from New York!
Bet you can see me if you try hard enough
gautami tripathy on 20 Mar 2007 at 5:22 pm #

I like analogy of birthing of a healthy baby here. Thats how we writers do feel at times.

gautami
Fillip