inspiration, they say, hits you. it slams into the back of your head, launching you forward into creating something you call the product, the project, the result, a masterpiece. does simply allowing inspiration to take the wheel, and driving with your eyes closed count as dedication? commitment?
some say genius can’t be taught. geniuses seem to be constantly bombarded with inspiration. that seems to be their only discriminating factor. but genius is clearly celebrated. so, what are us poor uninspired saps to do?
hard work is valued, so is perseverance. but inspiration stands in the way of perseverance, diminishing the need to “push through” when something holy has opened the gates for you. i waltz across the slick, linoleum floor of inspiration some days, and i feel all the lazier for it. but if both genius and the need to work hard are both appreciated and looked down upon, how are we to know if we’re going to make it, relying on either one of these gifts?
i suppose they expect you to learn early; it’s a combination. it’s accepting inspiration with grace, being grateful for genius when it is granted to you, and then keeping your foot in the door when inspiration tries to shut it in your face. refusing to allow either complacency to completely drive your creative experience.
i suppose therein lies the true genius. the inspiration to persevere.
inspiration is not a creative asset, it’s a human one. we must become inspired to continue when inspiration treats us like garbage, when it turns its back on us, when genius doesn’t pick up the phone.
