Creating Inspiration

Today I’d like to expand off of a quote I provided in my review of The War of Art yesterday:

(via Somerset Maugham) “Someone once asked Somerset Maugham if he wrote on a schedule or only when struck by inspiration. ‘I write only when inspiration strikes,’ he replied. ‘Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.”

A lot of people just beginning creative endeavors (and some experienced people as well) have notions that inspiration just manifests itself; that we have to wait for it, by being idle, or by praying, or simply by waiting.

Picture by ooOJasonOoo on Flickr.

Inspiration doesn’t just come in a box.

People are deceived by the results of filtering; they only see the “genius” idea that makes it mainstream, not the thousand of other ideas (some very good) that the artist had before that one. Inspiration is a direct result of large numbers; the more ideas you get and execute, the more you’ll improve, and the more likely you are to hit on “the big one.”

Often, this means sitting down at your computer to write every morning at nine. The results aren’t always going to be incredible, awe-inspiring, or even tolerable. But they build a habitual flow of ideas and improvement that leads towards greatness.

Keep going.

-Barry