Writing: Become Inspired

by:

Chi Diallo (Guest Writer)

 

Inspiration isn’t something you find. It’s something that happens. There was a process in learning the difference between the two. My greatest writing challenges are the responsibilities that pull me from an abstract space of creativity into a space of obligation and time constraints. If I could figure out a way to overcome these challenges with any type of consistency, it would be nirvana. Whether it’s work, financial matters or trying to balance relationships with family and friends, there always seems to be something trying my energies.

There are unique situations where I become sensitive to the world around me and absorb my environment, which in turn, gives me the material and emotions I use to write, instinctively absorbing the world around me with all five senses. Over time, I have developed the skill of translating the subsequent conclusions I draw from those meditative binges into coherent text. I am most productive as a recluse writer. When I separate myself from stressors, I can organize my thoughts into a format that makes sense. It’s easier said than done, but I make a conscious effort to write in isolation for at least one hour per day, despite my onuses.

There are a few items that maximize my writing experience. I like exotic notebooks with cool designs and expensive colored pens, the kind that glide effortlessly across the paper.

In an article written for Poets and Writers, Alexandra Enders speaks of being creatively confined to her cabin, house and office, until eventually, she was liberated after writing a short in a Montana motel. As long as I have my materials, I can write anywhere. Creating the perfect set of physical surroundings is more about creating the consummate atmosphere for the inspired mind to do its job in the process of writing. Then, there’s actually writing.

The sensation I get when I write echoes the sentiments of a poem written by Jennifer Michael Hecht.

Bestial from not being seen;

Staring out the window with wide, immortal eyes.

As artists, we seem to invest much time and energy into creating the ideal circumstances for production. Most of the time, the motivation comes in maneuvering through the debris of life en route to discovering ourselves and creating our own personal paradise, once we define what that is for ourselves. Recently, I’ve incorporated a new technique. I produce material by speaking my thoughts into the voice recorder app on my phone at the exact moment of inspiration, which is a much more organic method for capturing my observations in a way I can translate to printed word. I sometimes talk in cursive and it can be counter-effective to postpone a moment of artistic inspiration to mold a maelstrom of ideas into complete, logical sentences. The ability to replay and analyze my comments while in solitary quarters allows me to organize them on my schedule and register fresh substance without the pressure of forgetting as I write.