Recently I wrote about Inspiration Overload and it made for a lot of conversation in the comments, which I LOVE. It’s so satisfying to see a post turn into a conversation here on Mocking Bird. For those of you that do comment, thank you so much. For those quieter ones that read, come out and say hi sometime. I’d love to “meet” you.

So that post…a lot of readers were feeling the same way about having inspiration overload. Of course, I’m now going to do a complete 360 as I want to talk about the ways in which we are inspired.

Last week I went to see Arcade Fire and was blown away by their awesomeness again. As the cerulean-blue-frocked Regine spun her glittery ribbons around the stage, I was imagining pictures in my head. Little images and ideas appeared in my mind as the music was beating straight through to my heart. Images flashing on the video walls, snow appearing to fall across the stage, the lyrics running like wildfire…all these things strike up the harps of inspiration within my head. Even at 34, I still get pangs of wanting to be a rockstar for those few euphoric moments of madness that happen at rock shows.

My inspiration comes from the books I read, the artists whose lives I imagine, the moments I have in my head during xylophone chimes, watching people’s footsteps on the street march in time with the music on my radio and the flashes of summer childhood memories that pop in and out of every day conversations.

Inspiration can come from so many different places. It’s about being switched on to that place in your head that allows your imagination to wander, being aware of the little pictures that you and only you can create.

I think to be inspired is one thing. To take that inspiration and turn it into something beautiful is quite something else. That’s my new aim. Won’t you join me?

p.s. Check out my guest post for Margaret over at Paper Pastries. I take you on a visual tale of my 2 cities.