What Inspires You?

Do you listen to music that inspires you?  Do you do anything that inspires you?  If not, what is the reason?  Are you unsure about what inspires you, or perhaps, are you unsure that you even want — or need — to be inspired?

Inspiration can come from many sources, if you open yourself up to it.  The other day at lunch, my sister said to my brother Joe and me, “This may seem silly, but ever since I went to Trumpets [jazz club], I have been inspired by it.”

No, Stefani, that is not even remotely silly.  

It got me thinking about how we don’t always seek inspiration, but sometimes it still finds us. The reason Stefani and I went to Trumpets that night was to hear Joe perform with his 17-piece big band.  It was a real trip!  I must admit, though, that if it were not for having a brother who is a jazz musician, I would not have been there that night — or any night, for that matter.  My sister is the same way; we tend to listen to pop and rock music.  And yet weeks later, Stefani is still compelled to share how inspired she was by the great music she heard that night.

I love both pop and rock music. But, I have to admit, I’m not always inspired by what I hear. This is not a put-down of the music I listen to.  But I have come to realize that much of what I listen to is about enjoying it in the moment, not about what I take from it afterwards, whereas Joe said, “When I go out to hear live music, it is even more about being inspired to do something creative than it is about enjoying the music as I’m listening to it.”

I use music as an example because music is a huge part of my life, but inspiration can come from so many places — and it can influence people in different ways.  Stefani, for example, was inspired by the music she heard that night — but it didn’t inspire her to compose a song, because she is not a musician.  And I enjoy writing, but my inspiration doesn’t always come from what I read.

I asked Stefani what it was that the big band music inspired her to do.  Her answer: she wasn’t sure yet.  But it was a start.  There doesn’t always have to be a reason.  At the very least, it inspired a conversation that led the three of us to agree that we would start actively seeking more ways to be inspired, whether through music, art, books, or something else entirely.  

After all, inspiration does find us sometimes, but the more you look for it, the easier it will be to find.  

What have you been inspired by lately?  Please share.

—Michele Stivalo