inspiration

Where do you get your inspiration? I mean, where do you find your inspiration to create something? Inspiration is something I've thought about this past week, as I wrapped up my final research paper for the Fall term. Like many people, I used to find my inspiration in outdoor places or through conversations with others. With the pandemic, those conversation don't look or feel like they did in the past. Most conversations are digital these days. 

My creative outlet for that inspiration is letterpress printing. Since I began my doctoral program, I have had little time to print. Regardless of what some might say, a doctorate in education is challenging. It demands a lot of time to complete. I knew this going into the program, and I understood that my other pursuits would be set aside for three years. And, I have realized that I miss that time. 

I have missed the time spent with others. I miss the conversations and the activities. I miss the inspiration and the authenticity of in-person conversations. I realize that COVID has altered the way we communicate, and I realize that my doctoral program has altered the time I have available to find that inspiration. Trust that I am not complaining. And, I am thankful to live in such a beautiful part of the world that offers so many opportunities to explore the outdoors for inspiration. I am also thankful for the internet and social media for providing some avenues of inspiration. But, with the Fall semester now over and a pending two-week winter break from work, I am excited to get back into the printshop.

I am stoked to start pulling some fonts, to start inking the machines, and to begin pressing some paper. I suppose I am answering my own question—inspiration comes from the strangest of places sometimes. It doesn't matter where. It simply matters how you use that time.