looking for inspiration

hope you are able to find some inspiration! sometimes we find our inspirations in strange places or from things we never truly knew insipred us at all! good luck in getting inspired!

I know what you mean, everything seems so chaotic lately. I wonder if the task of de-cluttering your desk area is a way to "ground" you in some way. It sounds like a great idea. I'm sure inspiration will strike you soon, likely when you least expect it!

Sue, I know exactly what you mean. Too bad I didn't try some of your de-cluttering methods.

I was on a dry spell until this morning I woke up with a poem in my brain. Then I was able to edit a short play. It felt good to have it back.

Sometimes when I'm not able to find inspiration I work on editing or submitting materials. Then before I know it my brain revolts with something creative just to get out of my least favorite writing activities!

I wish you the best of luck, before long the words will start floating out onto paper (or computer).

De-cluttering does sound like a good idea, to clear the way for new work. Think I'll get busy doing just that!

You're right to de-clutter. That is so not conducive to writing or thinking or anything else.

I'm sure you'll find some inspiration soon.

Sounds like you did enough to inspire you already. What you have written is the start to something wonderful.

Christmas and New Years is over, thus we have the natural lull which inevitably begins the new year; a time to think of new ways, new goals, new projects, but getting started needs new air, new views...a tidy desk. It's a start to new things!

I've started a new uni course, Humanities which will cover eight disciplines like Art, Philosophy, History, Religion and so on, this after a creative writing course last year from which I learnt a huge amount. It was great and stretched me, as will this one. And I'm only young, too,
barely
......62 next birthday!

As I've mentioned elsewere on gather, there are many tricks to getting started in writing; Morning Pages, as mentioned in Julia Cameron's THE RIGHT TO WRITE, or a handful of words randomly selected from a magazine, or cutout words, to make a piece of prose or a poem, using any or all of them.

Simply going out to a cafe or a park and describing what you see, the people, the scenery, the wild life, will do wonders for your writing...and your health. Oxygen is so uplifting.

I once visited an art gallery in Edinburgh during last years Festival. Later that week, I performed some of my poetry at a Fringe venue. In the art gallery, three pictures set together on a wall inspired me to write what I saw in them. The more I wrote, the more I saw in the pictures, which helped me enjoy them all the more; one picture of a solicitor had a can of fly spray on the bookshelf-the mind boggled, was it for clients who failed to pay, I wonder!

At home later, in Yorkshire, I wove the notes into a piece for my Tutor Marked Assessment, got great marks plus a piece of writing which will go off soon to a story competition.

Sue D, you have the world at your feet, you just have to remember to look!!!!

Peace.

For someone who had trouble thinking of something to write - you sure did a good job of cobbling together three very good paragraphs about your day! Did your area get hit by the power outages?

I'm kind of there with you - been feeling this way for the past month or so. I really like your idea for trying to find some focus. I need a plan ;-)

Yep, I need to do some de-cluttering as well. Hmmmm. Maybe another day.

Someone has spammed my article with just a direct link to an outside website. I have removed these comments. I am normally against removing comments, but they have nothing to say about my article. Member's name is Popescu C.

I've felt a little off this year too. I'm glad that decluttering helped some. That is something we need to do too.

Housecleaning has always been the most effective "grounding" activity for me. I swear by it. Hope it helps.

I know how you feel... I have been meaning to write lately, not just here, but on Helium and Associated Content, and just not feeling motivated enough! I don't know if it's lack of inspiration, lack of time, lack of motivation or what... Maybe all... Hope you find some inspiration! :)

Well said, Sheila h! Hang in there, Sue! :-)

Scully, hey, just came back on. Finally received my new DSL internet service from Verizon. It feels good tobe Gathering again. I read your article. I had to declutter many things and places in my home and life. But, it's the New Year. Happy 2008. I'll be seeing you around Gather!!

Glad to have you back Charles. I missed you!

I definitely need to declutter. I usually get inspiration from being out in nature.

Dear Miz Sue - Dr. Mariana to the rescue - Now, my friend - if you are feeling scattered and out of sorts - it may be a physical hormonal thang you know us girls - well, you can't help the way ole mama nature has things planned but you can do this:
When you find yourself scattered - and who doesn't - then, you need to take a long soak in a hot bath - fill it with Epsom salts and sea salts or bubble bath and some bach flower Rescue drops (I use these all the time) more on that if you want to know about them or google - Bach Flower Remedies...ok back to the back. Light a sandlewood incense or some nice soothing candles - doesn't even have to be scented - sometimes just staring at a candle flame is soothing. You soak in the bathtub and say, my body and mind are calm - new thoughts can come in - I am emptying all negativity and it will soon go down the drain - I am renewed.
Also, look around your house - are there any places that are piled with clutter and each time you pass, you say oh I have to get that done...well, you need to do what is called Feng Shui and declutter and get rid of dead plants - it's quite complicated but can be simplified - however, one good thing is to do each room and just intuitively look around and see what isn't right! Change things around and give things new life...
You'll be doing well in no time. Ok now it's time to take my own advice! Have a great day. Salud.

I have been feeling frazzled myself lately. It will pass & we will both be back to normal soon!

Maybe it's just your time to clean house, both literally and figuratively. Our brains need down time as well as our bodies, so doing basic non-thinking stuff is good for the soul at times. It also is empowering to do things we don't want to--when they are done, we have moved forward....

Mariana's suggestions sound good to me. I cleaned my living room when I took down the tree but piled a whole bunch of stuff on the kitchen table. Every time I look at it, I think "I just have to clear that off" but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Wow....I need some of the organizing motivation~

Hope you are feeling better, Sue! Getting myself re-organized really helps me.

I need to get some organizing done in my house - it's getting done, but very slowly. I also have a few thank you notes I need to knock out!

cleaning is good. de-cluttering is good. writing is good. You go, girl!

Okay, that's dating me, isn't it!

I need to do this, too, and have been feeling the same sort of angst. I've blamed it on our dreary weather and a string of stressful situations. Hope you feel better soon.

Good ideas there for certain. Been feeling that way all this month myself, but then without fail after every New Year's I have that same old down funk, a holiday of it's own!

Mariana is right Bach Flower Essences...Rescue Remedy. It works. Amazing.

You grabbed me with that first paragraph. When in doubt, clean - that's me too.

Has de-cluttering helped you this month?

I am still working on the decluttering, and it has not inspired me to write much. I have not written an article in days. I am hoping for an inspiration soon. In the meantime I am getting the house in order.

hope decluttering helped you find some inspiration

I write inspirational poetry which may help. Here is the web address: http://www.squidoo.com/imagineering_writing