Have you ever felt a stuck while working on an important creative project? It’s hard to believe that my business turned 10 years old on Oct. 12. During the past month, I’ve been re-writing my business plan and considering what to create in the next 10 years. I was feeling stuck, needed inspiration and prayed for help. Almost instantly an invitation came to join my friend Carmel Lapa on a cruise from NYC to Quebec. Was taking a trip a form of fearful procrastination, or was it an opportunity to refocus, have fun and open up my creativity?
My calendar was surprisingly clear, the price a bargain, and the intuition said YES. I packed my bags. Coincidentally, Elizabeth Gilbert’s new book, BIG MAGIC – CREATIVE LIVING BEYOND FEAR became available 2 days before my departure. I placed my order on Amazon, and miraculously it arrived the next day!
As I plunged into reading it as I waited for my flight, it was clear that this book had arrived at the perfect time. Although it repeated so much of what I already recognized about creativity and fear, it awakened my realization that inspiration is swirling around each of us, hoping to be noticed, and ripe for being made into something tangible.
Busy people might totally miss it. To catch inspiration, Gilbert says you must notice that tiny speck of interest, be curious, pause and consider this to be a clue that a juicy idea is taking root. In the book she shares an amazing story about failing to complete an book project, only to find that the project moved on to be born almost identically through the work of author Ann Patchett. This story alone is a good reason to read the book.
Soon we were sharing a champagne toast and waving British flags with a happy crowd on the deck of the Queen Mary 2 as New York Harbor and the statue of liberty glistened against a dramatic sky. I promised myself to pay attention to what caught my interest and allow inspiration to find me this week. I’m pleased to report that new ideas came in, first in rather subtle form, them in repeating variations. Waves crashing along the coast remind me that ideas also keep arriving just like the waves. My job is to catch a few, knowing there are plenty there for everyone.
