Tell me if you have not found this to be true. We speak, we behave, we produce, we write out of abundance. Whatever is stirring around inside us and decides to overflow.
I can say that there have been many times in my life that I have gotten my inspiration out of an abundance of negativity. There have been phases of pessimism, depression, drama, and anxiety in my life and my writing has reflected that. So many of the best songs written out there have been written out of an abundance of heartbreak and loss. (Just ask Taylor Swift!) There have been amazing novels and songs and poems throughout history that have been written from an abundance of feelings of love and devotion and romance. I think it's safe to say that if you have no abundance, you come up rather dry when you try to write, speak, or produce something inspired. We operate out of an overflow.
". . .For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (or thinks, or writes, or acts, etc)" Luke 6:45
For me, though I have been through many moments of heartache and depression, (and have definitely written about them), for the most part, the abundance that my inspiration comes from nowadays takes on a very new shape. I write and speak out of an overflow of love and grace and sympathy. That's the hand that I've been dealt as of late, and all are emotions that spill out into the things that I produce (as well as sarcasm and humor, of course!). I've had to learn how to create that abundance in my life and there have been times when that hasn't been easy. In the same way that drama begets more drama; joy produces more joy. I'm learning this. The process is a conscious decision every day.
I'm not saying that inspiration shouldn't ever come from moments of darkness and depression; that negativity cannot ever be used for change. I know that the moments in my life that have dark undertones remind me and others that life has many phases. Expression from places of heartache and anxiety and stress can make us "relate-able" and spur change and growth in other people. Every moment of our lives can be used to inspire and encourage others.
As I ramble this post out, just know that it comes from an abundance of freedom and growth. This blog has evolved from merely a place for me to vent about the happenings of living a life with two toddler boys, into something a whole lot more special to me. It's a place where I write out of an abundance of understanding for other parent's and their struggles on the same journey as me. I'm full of love for my little people, full of an appreciation for all that God has brought our little family through in the last year, and full of joy that though this parenting road is hard, there's hope and help along the way. There are others out there who can inspire us when we feel like our wells are drying up. I know there have been many moments in life that I have needed that connection and I hope that I can write out of an overflow of relateability and understanding. God has helped me out of a deep pit. In parenting and life. He's spoken words of restoration and grace and sympathy and He's encouraged me to use the abundance of those gifts to share here. If you enjoy a bit of humor and sarcasm, great. I've got an abundance of that for you! If you need encouragement and a tad more joy in your life, I'm operating on an overflow of that as well! Experience and an abundance of love and life. That's where my inspiration comes from.
What about you?? Where does your inspiration come from??
I had a quick flashback to high school, sitting in the back of my best friend's car and listening to some really great, but depressing Pearl Jam tunes...Black I think, or Jeremy. Both of them are sad. Anyway, I loved it. Singing my heart out, right along with the music and feeling so alive. So you're right! I think we bond through anger. But like you, I'm striving real hard to beam sunshine. I've been down some long sad roads myself, a divorce, some bad relationships, but I realized something too, all of that bad stuff makes us so much stronger, and better people. I have so much energy now to share with others. I have so much empathy as well. And today, I feel inspired because I know, for me, happiness and a drive to keep moving forward everyday in the direction of my dreams, is exactly what I want to share. I want to inspire myself to keep moving forward. It’s the only way I’ll reach my dreams and to also teach my kids how to dream and reach theirs.
ReplyDelete~Erika