Inspiration takes work.

(Fun work, I promise!)

One of the common misconceptions around 'inspiration' and the act of it manifesting in one's being, is regarding it as a form of passive divine intervention that seems to appear out of thin air. And even-though that occasionally maybe the case and that we may not necessarily control when and how it happens, but understanding the context in which inspiration occurs (before and during) is quintessential if we want to be inspired more often.

And the key to maximizing those inspiration moments is in designing an inspiration friendly context within all aspects of our life. To keep things brief, let's talk about three things, randomness, playfulness and freshness.

Part of being inspired is the thought of something original and unique surfing into our psyche and the more unexpected variants we can introduce into our daily, the more we allow ourselves to be inspired. Embrace randomness, break patterns, get out of the familiar path. Put it on shuffle. Get a magic 8-ball. Make random a habit -as ironic as that sounds- and to start you off, here's a couple random sites to add to your radar theuselessweb.com and https://lnkd.in/eE-t_kuA.

Think of inspiration as water, and running water never grows stale and stagnant. Switching things up, allow change to manifest more often in your life. Have fun creating things and spaces that inspire you.

The physical surroundings within our control, are manifestations of our thoughts, and vice-versa. Besides loving a clean workspace that gives me space to think, I have an area on my desk that I created called my inspiration zone. It comprises of one of those beautiful Monocle x Revo Internet Radio's where you basically have access to radio stations from across the world at your fingertips. Brazilian punk rock, check. Japanese Avant-garde Jazz, from Kyoto? You betcha! Polish industrial Techno? Oczywiście!! Every now and then I Program the 10 quick access presets to a new station from around the world. Atop of that radio, there’s an area that I call my mini theme zone where I regularly create a new scene designed specifically to self-inspire. Currently It's Retro-Future Easter Island.

So whenever, I glance over, I feel something fresh and new, and If it starts to feel too familiar, well, it's time to create something new and it's during the moments of creation, that I'm already inspired.

And finally, when you can add a cherry on top, why wouldn't you? Showcased below is the inspiring artwork of Gabriel Dawe, a Mexican-born artist living in Dallas, Texas, whose work is based on investigations of the visible spectrum of light. His Plexus series of large-scale sewing line installations, stir up ethereal sensations that delight and inspire. My attempt to create more inspiration moments for all of us here on LinkedIN ;) stay inspired.