inspirationblogWritten by
Korey L. Ward

“Inspiration is what gives a writer his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.”— Obi-Wan Kenobi paraphrased.

As a writer, I’m often asked the mysterious and sometimes dreaded question of what inspires me to write, to create new worlds, and come up with memorable characters. I’m not the first to be asked this question, and I most certainly won’t be the last.

But why is it so dreaded? It’s not only us writers, but painters, sculptors, photographers, musicians, and any artists really, that needs inspiration to create. I think the answer is simpler than we might think. It’s unexplainable.  That’s it. I said it. It’s unexplainable, and I’m not afraid to admit it.

Much like the “Force” In the beloved movie franchise: Star Wars, inspiration is power. It’s a power that we all possess, and uniquely so. Humans, as far as we know, are the only living creatures on earth to possess such power, but why? And where does it come from.

I believe we need to look to the greatest creator of all; our creator. He may have many names in many different religions, but for arguments sake, I call him, God. I also believe that at some point in time this omnipotent being had an instantaneous thought, an idea of wondrous proportions. It was inspiration. It was us. He is the author of the book of life and though he didn’t write it directly, he inspired his disciples to write a book of many tales and parables. It was the bible.

The being I call God, also says that he created us in his own image, and I believe that the part of him that was handed down to us was inspiration of imagination. I don’t want to go on about religious beliefs, but it’s the only thing that makes since to me. We as human beings have the ability to do wondrous things. We too can have joy from being the creators of our own universes through the stories and art we create, and as readers we have the privilege of obtaining joy and pleasure from others creations.

Inspiration can come at us strong and powerful, but can also be fleeting, like trying to catch a beautiful butterfly in a tornado. Some believe that we do not come up with the ideas on our own, but they instead, come to us, and it’s our job to pluck them out of their dimension and bring them into our world by writing them down. Stephen King has been caught saying things similar.

One quote that comes to mind is “Let’s get one thing clear right now, shall we? There is no Idea Dump, no Story Central, no Island of the Buried Bestsellers; good story ideas seem to come quite literally from nowhere, sailing at you right out of the empty sky: two previously unrelated ideas come together and make something new under the sun. Your job isn’t to find these ideas but to recognize them when they show up.” ― Stephen King

Nikola Tesla has said that his inspiration came from aliens—“My brain is only a receiver, in the Universe there is a core from which “We” obtain knowledge, strength and inspiration. I have not penetrated into the secrets of this core, but I know it exists.” – Nikola Tesla

Inspiration is simple and complex. It is everything and nothing. It comes from the darkest parts of our minds and the brightest rainbow in the sky. Whatever you believe, whether it be aliens, supernatural forces, or divine intervention, inspiration is real and it is up to you and me to take full advantage of its power, and create something wonderful for ourselves and others.