In Search of the Everflowing Stream of Creative Inspiration

 

By Lynne Lanning

            The sky is blue, your children are all doing well, your house is perfectly clean (including a well organized junk drawer), and your husband just brought you flowers.  What a wonderful day!  On days like this, it is easy to reach for creative inspiration because you are surrounded by it.

            But let’s get realistic…perfect days are just too far apart to rely on them for motivation.  Most of us don’t have the luxury of sitting on a balcony, stress free, overlooking the ocean everyday…besides, even if we could, there are occasional tsunamis and hurricanes.

            As creative people, we have already found that the stream of creative inspiration tends to only trickle sometimes, maybe even seem to stop completely for a while as we suffer a drought.  During those times we have to dig deeper into our creative selves and find something to prime that pump and get it flowing again.

            I have found sources of ideas in unusual places…I will be sitting over my computer, trying not to pull my hair out, looking at the same screen for too long, with no ideas flowing.  The constant drone in the background, where my husband is watching another one of those documentaries, is about to make me scream.  I’m distracted as my phone flashes another text message where my granddaughter has sent me the tenth silly selfie today.  It’s a dreary, cold, rainy day with no relief in sight…   My choices here are to either throw myself a pity party or try to adjust my attitude.

            This is the perfect time to jot down some feelings of stress and desperation that I may need my characters to feel sometime in the future.  Write it down.  Now that I’ve taken a baby step, I suggest to my husband that after his documentary is over, I would like to watch one with him that is from the era I am writing about.  Win, win situation here…we spend a little time together, and I collect ideas and pictures in my mind of what my characters had to deal with. 

            Now, I am getting somewhere, and starting to feel better.  I send a text back to my granddaughter letting her know how goofy she is and start to think of the sweet innocence and happiness of a child.  There are plenty of notes to jot down on this subject.  It doesn’t take much to make a child happy, and that smile on her face is downright infectious!

            As for the cold, rainy day, I think of how God sends us what we need, even if we don’t

understand at the time.  Instead of thinking of a dreary day, I force myself to think of it as the earth being refreshed.  Then I can start to think on my soul and mind being refreshed.  I jot down what the rain sounds like as it splashes on different surfaces, how the air smells, describe the thunder rolling and the flash of lightning…taking advantage of every sense I can, while I have this opportunity.

            Music is another favorite for inspiring creativity.  I can’t write while it’s playing, but I can sure take notes and get in a frame of mind.  If one of my characters is begging forgiveness, I have music for that.  If they are playing “hard to get”, I have music for that too. 

            Thankfulness is always something to draw inspiration from.  We have so much to be thankful for!  Look around at the things we take for granted.  Be thankful for electricity, indoor plumbing, food… I have even found myself thankful recently for sweeping the floor… yes, I was digging pretty deep that day, as I had a cast on my broken ankle, but I was thankful I had a floor to sweep, and that I was healthy enough and able to sweep it.

            How do you keep your creativity flowing? Leave a comment to get your name in the drawing for a copy of  Where He Leads

Where He Leads

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By the age of 11, Lilly had suffered more horrific circumstances, than any adult should have to bear. She lost both of her parents and the only home she ever knew, then was forced to move away from her brothers and sisters.

Why had God allowed all of this tragedy?

Pa had found the perfect home for her before his death. Through her new family’s loving care and instruction, Lilly grew into a beautiful young lady, filled with compassion, intelligent and having a strong faith in God.

When she met Tommy, her heart flipped! How could she make all of the life lessons she had learned, her faith in God, and Tommy fit into God’s plan for her life? Was Tommy truly part of God’s plan for her?

Tommy and his mother’s past brought possible danger to anyone close to them. Could Lilly put her family through that? Should she abandon Tommy and the feelings she had for him? Could prayer be the answer? 

With more circumstances beyond their control fighting against them, it seemed their troubles would never end.Would God allow her the Desires of her Heart?

I Surrender All

Available for Pre-Order Soon

When the very private, independent McAllisters start their ranch in a nice quiet area

outside of town, no one thinks anything of it.  They stay to themselves, don’t cause any trouble, and are just considered normal newcomers…

Until the community finds out that the four oldest children, who have always been dressed and raised as boys, are actually girls!  They are rough, tough and beautiful; and of age to marry.

The secret is out and the men are lining up to win their attention.  But, who is brave enough to try to tame them?

When they find themselves having to depend on others to fight against evil men, not once, but twice; they experience for the first time, to trust true friends, but also how to trust God. 

Overcoming their pride and independence to give God control of their lives, doesn’t come easy.  During the darkest of days, they find the greatest blessings in life are found when they finally give up bitterness and revenge and cry out to God,

I Surrender All

Join the McAllisters as they learn about things they had never experienced before; friendship, love and trust; as they fight real battles and find true love.

About Lynne Lanning

Lynne’s stories are full of romance and action mixed with humor and sass; her poetry is full of inspiration… most is from life lessons learned herself, or taught by previous generations. She has a way of encouraging her readers to identify with the characters while evoking emotion.

Where the Heart Leads

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