My inspiration stems from several places–memories, dreams, adventure–but book quotes and reading have always allowed me to get inspired by other writers who use their words as power. Writing is a powerful tool that I often use to take control and allow myself to organize my life. However, writing does not always come easily especially if you are experiencing what many call “writer’s block.”
Recently, I was experiencing this so-called “writer’s block” and I felt that I was stuck, paralyzed with no idea of what I should write about. I tried dreaming because dreaming always allows me to create stories that develop in my subconscious. The only problem was that I was not dreaming as vividly as usual, so I sat down hoping that by staring at my ink and paper that maybe, just maybe inspiration would appear. This did not work.
I decided to take my mind off this lack of inspiration so I grabbed the nearest book and began to read. I love highlighting quotes that stand out to me so instead of rereading the book, I only read the quotes that were highlighted. Although I was only reading my favorite quotes, I sensed that the creative part of my mind was opening up and the writer’s block I had been feeling was disappearing. It was a great relief to sit there and be able to write, even if it was just a short story because I no longer felt paralyzed. I allowed myself to be inspired by the words that have already been written and like Margaret Atwood writes in her poem Spellings, “A word after a word after a word is power.” Reading words after words gave me power and I am excited to start writing again because writing is what gives me power.
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
“But she was there beside the sea, absolutely alone, she cast the unpleasant, picking garments from her, and for the first time in her life she stood naked in the open air, at the mercy of the sun, the breeze that beat upon her, and the waves that invited her.”
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
“They were careless people […] they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money […] and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
“She was the book thief without the words trust me, though, the words were on their way, and when they arrived, Liesel would hold them in her hands like the clouds, and she would wring them out like the rain.”
Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson
“This is where the story starts, in this threadbare room, the walls are exploding, the windows have turned into telescopes. Moon and stars are magnified in this room. […] Beyond the door, where the river is, where the roads are, we shall be, we can take the world with us when we go and sling the sun under your arm. Hurry now, […] here we are let loose in open fields.”
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
“But beauty, real beauty, ends where intellectual expression begins. Intellect is in itself a mode of exaggeration and destroys the harmony of face.”
Belinda by Maria Edgeworth
“Abroad she appeared all life, spirit, and good humour—at home, listless, fretful and melancholy; she seemed like a spoiled actress off stage, overstimulated by applause, and exhausted by the exertions of supporting a fictitious character.”
Tar Baby by Toni Morrison
“It was a silly age, twenty-five; too old for teenaged dreaming, too young for settling down. Every corner was a possibility and a dead end. Work? At what? Marriage? Work and marriage? Where? Who? What can I do with this degree?”
Whether this method works for you, inspiration and creativity are some of the most important things that can help you move throughout life. Each of these things has helped me get out of places where I felt stuck and once the inspiration starts to flow, your mind starts to work and your soul wakes up ready to begin the day.
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