Sources of Inspiration: June 'Inspiration' Week 3

This week, I'll be unpacking my own sources of 'organic' inspiration - or the moments when I'm out in the world and find myself thinking 'I have to write about this. I have to use this feeling.' If you're also a 'creative' - any kind of artist, writer, etc, you might relate. If you're just getting started, you might still be discovering these things for yourself. And if you're not getting started, you might already have your own list. For me, writing and sharing this is, in a way, a reminder - so that when I get stuck, I can breathe, look at my list, and go adventure towards something that I know will restore some creative spark to me.

Here's the list of things that inspire me:

1. Hiking

2. Mountains

3. Weather

4. Road Trips

5. Good Friends

6. Overheard Conversations

7. Interesting Hobbies

8. Spotify Playlists

As you might have noticed, a lot of these involve the outdoors. What can I say? I'm a Coloradan! You can take the author out of Colorado, but you can't take the Colorado out of the author!

On a more serious note, being outside is just inherently inspiring, because telling a good story is all about reflecting the world around us. In order to do that, we have to know the world around us - so we need to go and be present observers - of people, places, things - society. Additionally, as a fantasy author who loves worldbuilding, I'm (perhaps weirdly) inspired by landscapes, environments, and the tangible presence of nature.

 

That’s why I have ‘hiking,’ ‘mountains,’ and ‘weather,’ at the top of my list – any hike I take allows my mind to wander while being passively inspired by the landscape and view – or the effort of the hike itself. I can connect to my fantasy characters, who must often travel without the technologies we have today. Even from a distance, the Rocky Mountains (or any mountains) inspire me to think about what landscapes my characters would see or traverse. Thematically, my main project at the moment – Book 1 of the Meresthian Chronicles – deals heavily with environmental fallout, reflecting climate change within our world.

 

The weather is also hugely inspiring to me for how my writing might describe the weather – through narration, character perspective, and more. Truthfully, storms, or interesting and unique-looking skies inspire me the most. There’s something special about that kind of weather – something basically magical, even in our own world. And a good storm can often reflect a much-needed mental reset. I’ve often enjoyed watching a good lightning storm.

 

Oddly enough, one thing that’s not directly ‘on’ my list, but falls generally within this environmental section, is cave tours. Have you ever been on a cave tour? There’s something magical about stepping totally into the earth – something about the air and energy and awe that is stored there. Every time I visit a cave, I’m left with awe and inspiration for days – if not weeks. Maybe I’m just weird!

 

This brings me to my next sources of inspiration – road trips and good friends! Road trips and I have a fantastic history; often, I get to share my thoughts on my stories with my road trip partner somewhere along the drive. In fact, I was recently visited by some good friends who insisted I tell them about one of my side projects while we drove a couple of hours – which is just a drive, not even a road trip. (And seriously, the kinds of friends who ask you about your creative projects are irreplaceable – don’t lose them!)

 

The other reason why I’ve listed road trips so specifically, is that I am fascinated by the way that environments transition between one another – mountains to plains, plains to deserts, back to plains, woods, humid forests, lakes – I don’t even have all of the terminology for what I’m describing. Passing through those landscapes from one to the next always puts me in mind of my characters and their perspectives. When is the first time they would see a different environment than the one they grew up in? How far will they travel?

 

Of course, being out in the world – from road trips to daily life – means being around other people, and I love observing other people. Most of all, I love hearing people being people. Maybe that’s because I love writing dialogue – but it’s just so refreshing to hear it and see it in real life. Sometimes, I am the weird person that pulls out my phone to write down a hilarious or interesting bit of overheard dialogue. (Sorry?)

 

I also try and pick hobbies that keep the inspiration coming. I Dungeon Master for D&D campaigns set in Meresthian, the world of my current project, because it is so interesting to see people interact with the world. It’s a weekly source of inspiration, and I’m always developing more because of where my players are taking their characters, the plot, and ultimately, the world. I picked up pottery when I needed to clear my mind and craft something with my hands. And now, I’m taking a sword fighting class, because as a fantasy author, I’ve always wanted to write sword fighting with some actual confidence. I’m only five weeks in, and I’ve learned loads that I know I’ll use later.

 

The final source of inspiration I’ll share today is good music – and this is one source of inspiration that I can rely on anywhere and at any time. If I’m feeling like putting fantasy music on in the background, I can turn to Thomas Bergersen, Two Steps from Hell, Martin Phipps, Dark Fantasy Studio, or Piotr Musial, to name a few. If I need a quick energy-boost, I can jump into club electronica, pop, or rock, depending on my mood. And the great thing about Spotify, to me, is that if I have one song in mind for the vibes – I can just go to the song radio and let Spotify do the rest.

 

So, are we at all similar? Do I have the same sources of inspiration as you? Or did I totally introduce you to something new, or gush about something you totally find boring? Feel free to let me know. No matter what you’re currently working on, I wish you all the inspiration in the world. You’ve got this! Go create.