What is inspiration? In positive psychology, “inspiration” refers to a positive emotional state where someone feels motivated, uplifted, and compelled to take action or create something. It is often sparked by witnessing something meaningful, admirable, or awe-inspiring, leading to a sense of purpose and drive to achieve goals or pursue new ideas; essentially, it’s a feeling that motivates you to act creatively or productively.
Psychologists have created an “inspiration scale” to measure this element. People who score higher on the scale:
- have more absorption in tasks
- have more completion of tasks
- have stronger drive
- are less competitive
- are more intrinsically motivated
- have more self-esteem and confidence
If you depend on external stimuli to keep you motivated, that can lead to grasping after that input or dependency on it. If you can find internal inspiration, you follow your creative spark, which sparks other ideas and so on.
Inspiration has five qualities:
- It needs our permission. We have to allow it. We are taking the risk to be changed.
- It has to be internalized and become part of who we are. Factors that increase openness to inspiration: 1. Openness to new experiences, 2. Positive affect. 3. Preparation. Acknowledging small wins.
- It is unrestrained and happens when we release our expectations.
- It’s transcendent. It happens to us. Elizabeth Gilbert has an excellent TED talk on creative genius. Keep showing up.
- It’s impermanent. Cyclical. Allow the fallow times. Spring comes and the grass grows by itself.
I find external inspiration by gathering quotes and watching videos. The Internet delivers several to my inbox each day.
My writing and painting practices provide internal inspiration for me. Finishing one project, my curiosity adds “what would happen if I did it another way?” I want to increase my skills, so that calls me to try again. I find joy and purpose in both practices.
How do you find inspiration?
In your journal:
- what inspires you?
- What are your sources of external inspiration?
- What are your sources of internal inspiration?