photo credit: h.koppdelaney

Ideas are tricky things, they come to the brain without provocation but you have to find something to do with them. If your mind is open and willing to take action, inspiration can come from daily life. Here are ten things to do to spur the imagination.

1. Exercise: Staring at a computer all day is an activity that is done by a lot of people. When you find that your brain is going numb, take a walk around the house or office. It usually takes fifteen or twenty minutes and it really gets the brain working. Exercise focuses individuals into creative work.
2. Watch the sunrise: Every sunrise and sunset is different, awash with colors and beautiful. They are divine poetry, written for all to see. If you need writing inspiration, take a few minutes to describe that fleeting moment on paper.
3. Look to your dreams: Dreams can tell stories of what’s going on in your daily life from a completely different perspective. They will often be abstract and take you to places that you’ve never been. Who better to capture the flavor of your dreams than you?
4. Write Poetry: To many, there is nothing so fun as wordplay. See how many words you can rhyme together and try to make them connect. Use some of the different styles of poetry to frame your fun. Dip into iambic pentameter and round out your fun with a limerick. While not guaranteed to bring forth a great work of your own, it will get the brain working.
5. People Watch: Go to the mall or your favorite bookstore and watch the people around. Make up stories about the strangers that you see, how they interacted with others. If you get a chance, listen to their conversations and gather ideas about how they talk.
6. Change the Venue: Get out of the house and go look at something that you’ve not seen before. Travel to one of the many state parks and see the sights there. Benches abound and the fresh air will do you some good.
7. Check out some books: Libraries are great sources of ideas and inspiration. If you don’t feel like reading one of the many books, look through the card catalog to see what others are interested in. Passion is something great to see in almost any venue.
8. Volunteer: Volunteer opportunities are available in most towns. Take a few minutes out of your day to help others with their needs. Not only will it give you a great feeling, it has the potential of telling you a few stories that will get your own creativity going.
9. Let the routine slide for a day: Try taking a different route to work and paying attention to the scenery that’s along your way. If you can slightly alter the way, you will be amazed at the various shops and restaurants that grace the path. Remember that a path to work might be longer, but it can be more fulfilling.
10. Talk with friends: Friends are great fountains of information. They have wonderful stories and they offer a different perspective from where you are. They’re the ones who are keeping an eye out for your interests and can inspire you to do your best.

Inspiration is usually found when you’re doing something else. Actively searching it out, there might not be as much luck as the day that you just let it all go. If you’re seeking inspiration to do a craft, keep in mind that something usually comes if you’re continually doing that craft.

James is a tech writer and analyst who works for a UK based specialist in supplies such as the HP 350 ink cartridge and other printer inks.

photo credit: Clicksy

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.
One day a small opening appeared.
He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours
as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole.
Then it stopped, as if it couldn’t go further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly.
He took a pair of scissors and
snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon.
The butterfly emerged easily but
it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch it,
expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge
and expand enough to support the body,
Neither happened!
In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life
crawling around.
It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness
and haste did not understand:
The restricting cocoon and the struggle
required by the butterfly to get through the opening
was a way of forcing the fluid from the body
into the wings so that it would be ready
for flight once that was achieved.

Sometimes struggles are exactly
what we need in our lives.
Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us.
We will not be as strong as we could have been
and we would never fly.

So have a nice day and struggle a little and teach well.

Authour Unknown

A professor stood before his philosophy class with some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked his students if the jar was full…they all agreed that it was full.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly and the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked again if the jar was full. Again, they all agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else in the jar. He then asked once more if the jar was full to which the students responded with a resounding..YES!

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under his table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students started to laugh.

Now, said the professor as the laughter subsided, I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things…your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favourite passions…and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else…the small stuff.

If you put the sand into the jar first, he continued, there is no room for the golf balls or the pebbles. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Spend time with your parents, visit with your grandparents. Take time to get regular medical checkups. Take your parents out to dinner, play another round of 18 holes. There will always be time to clean the house or fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first…the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and asked what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled and said…I’m glad you asked.

The coffee shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.