The sky announced its arrival. Hues of light pink, blue, and white blended together forming a marble layer cake in the air. I captured this image two nights ago, minutes before thunder, lighting, and a torrential downpour hit the desert. A hard rain pelted the pavement and the trees bended as if they were doing yoga.
This fast flurry of showers gave me pause. Because where we live, rain happens in flash. Just as you start humming to the beat of the water or snuggle in your bed to listen to the showers as you sleep, it is gone. There was no break in the pattern this night; within minutes, the rain disappeared and a lingering musty smell monopolized the desert air.
The next day I looked at this photo again, looking at the richness of the white puffs married to the colors and how the sun was entirely covered, but tried to penetrate through the clouds. Minutes later, all was erased by showers. The passage of time chronicled in mere seconds, but also an important reminder that inspiration can happen in mere seconds and it can vanish just as quick.
It prompted me to acknowledge all that inspires me. I am a collector of quotes and often write in a quote journal. Recently, the words of Maya Angelou captured my attention. She says, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I reread The Great Gatsby this month and it inspired me to revisit some of the classics that I didn’t quite have the maturity to understand in high school. Other books, such as The Same Kind of Different As Me by Denver Moore and Ron Hall, The State of Wonder by Ann Patchett, and Just Kids by Patti Smith inspire me to discover worlds through another author’s use of words. My daughter’s deep belly laugh, my mom’s cooking, my sister’s compassion for the elderly, and my husband’s care of premature infants are all everyday reminders of what moves me.
I can’t always quantify why something inspires me. Inspiration is about feeling and how you want to act because of it. And it is highly subjective. What moves me may not move you. But as I get older, I find the need to grab inspiration. Anytime I can. Even if it exists in the swirl of the sky.
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What inspires you? Are you always aware of it?
Welcome! I am a lawyer turned freelance writer, essayist, and editor. On staff at Literary Mama and the co-founder and co-editor of the literary journal, The Sunlight Press, my essays and reported work have appeared in The Washington Post, The Lily, Saveur, Civil Eats, Brain, Child, ESPN and elsewhere. I am currently at work on a memoir on grief and culture and how it provides perspective on life’s ordinary graces. I invite you to appreciate the ordinary with me. I hope my daily practice of seeing the magic in the mundane helps you celebrate and find more of these moments in your life too.
I love that quote…Maya Angelou is a wise woman.
There is an abundance of wisdom in her words. I was fortunate enough to attend one of her readings. She is even more amazing in person.
I love that quote. Sometimes a small gesture can stay in our mind for a lifetime because of how someone made us feel. I love the other things that move you…all your connections that make your life complete.
I think we all have those tiny pieces of us that help shape us. I believe it is those inspirations that carry us through life.
That quote is popular amongst grade-school educators I knew in my former life. It’s so true and is a good reminder as to why practicing kindness is worth the effort.
As for inspiration, there are some agents that consistently inspire me. But what I see happening is I’m more open to inspiration wherever it comes from — whether it’s from a bickering couple at Whole Foods or a conversation with a stranger or a picture that depicts a sad story — it doesn’t just come from positive or sweet things anymore.
I agree Belinda. Even conflict can provide a source of inspiration. It may give you a new look at your own life or identify vices that you may want to change.
I second the Maya Angelou comment. She’s very inspiring. That picture is lovely. And for me? Olivia inspires me. Every day.
And because I read your words about Olivia I know why she inspires you. You both inspire others too. I hope you know that. xoxo
Angelou’s words are indeed inspirational. I find my own inspiration in extraordinary art, in the rare quiet moment, and equally, in the bustle of life in an urban center. Creativity, people, nature.
The sources of inspiration are everywhere. Just have to find the one that speaks to you.
How it makes us feel… yes, truly; and the indescribable magic and majesty of ephemeral symphonies of light and clouds. However it makes us feel, it does make us feel, and keenly at that.
It is beauty that is certainly palpable. I love the phrase “ephemeral symphonies of light and clouds.”
I thrive off creative people. I think I’m constantly in search of a mentor who can show me how to move forward with my own thoughts, ideas, and talents in a way that makes the world a tiny bit better (even if it’s only the world closest to me). That’s when I feel most inspired.
Mentors are great. Especially when they are generous enough to let you observe what inspires them and how they use it to build their own creativity.
Gorgeous photo. Now I want to reread the Great Gatsby….
Hope you get a chance to read it. It was certainly more fascinating and interesting to take in his words as an adult.