Needing Inspiration to get on with it?

It is 1:58AM in the morning, or is it night? Whichever, I know you know the time I am refereeing to. I am awake sitting on my bed with my Lapi on my lap. MS word app is open and I am just staring at it, with my mind prowling, in search of something I am not particularly sure about. I have longed to write on stuffs happening around me presently, but I can’t seem to focus. Why can’t I focus? I guess I just lack the inspiration I need to get the writing started, going, and done with?

This is not the first time I am experiencing this and it may not be the last time. In fact, I know that there are a lot of people who experience such too. It might not necessarily be when you want to be creative with your pen. Generally, we all need some form of inspiration to get a job/task done. It might be a simple (or complex) task, with known methods to achieving it, but you just can’t get it going. You don’t have the inspiration you need for that task at the time. How do we handle such situations?

Disclaimer: I am not an expert on this topic; I may not be planning to be one, not now or any time soon. I can only be proud to say that I write from experiences of myself and some friends who have brought such challenges to me, whether directly or not. My intention is not to exhaust the possible solutions (so-called), as I will limit myself to the once I can factor at the moment. I hope they will be helpful.

My Encarta Dictionary defines Inspiration simply as “stimulation to do creative work.”

Below are possible ways to go about helping your inspiration or the need for one:

What are you anxious about? Clear your disturbed mind. You need to work on the troubles in your mind. Replace them with their opposite thoughts: optimism and positivism.

Distract yourself from the need to be inspired: act as though you don’t need the inspiration anymore, at the time. Inspiration sometimes comes to us when we least expect.

Try doing other things: knowing how important time is, this helps you to convert the time you would have spent waiting for inspiration to come, to the time used to achieve something else. The new task might just spark-up the inspiration you have been looking for.

Step out of that environment where you are for a while: the mood of your environment can affect your inspiration and concentration. Step out and see the difference. Also, you may need to work on your environment to generate the kind of energy your concentration needs. You may change the settings by shuffling, removing or adding one or two things.

Change your immediate position: some positions do not help matters. I guess that’s why monks adopt those funny positions when they want to meditate – even when you want to pray, you take a position that helps the prayer mood. This works for your inspiration too. Check and adjust your position, it might be the problem.

Don’t be too serious: being serious could be good, but taking your work too seriously is not always the best. Lighten up at times; it is useful for refocusing and getting back ones inspiration.

Get another person involved: No man is an island. Reaching out to others can be significant for our inspiration. The person might be more skilled or has more experience in the field of our interest. But know that you determine that persons level of involvement.

Music helps: different music can serve different needs of your inspiration. The magic is in their rhythm and tone, sometimes the lyrics. Generally, cool and slow beats does the most magic for my inspiration needs. I am still not sure how it works, but it does.

Use your rough book: Some people call it jotter or reminder note. If you don’t have one, get one. Once an idea comes to you, put them down on your rough book, it doesn't have to be perfect now. Take your time latter to arrange them in a more proper or presentable manner, by then you will notice a flow. 

I am trying to think of another one, but it is not forthcoming. This will do now jooor; I seem to be losing the inspiration to go on…

“I never try?” (in pidgin English)

  Thanks for spending your time to read this. Your comments on the topic generally, any of the points I noted or any additional point from you, will be highly appreciated.