Inspiration

 In today’s world, you are able to surround yourself with whatever you desire. Topics that required great effort to be exposed to twenty years ago have become nearly effortless to experience on a daily basis.  We can thank social media for delivering this right to our palms. Although it can be seen as a distraction...a constant distraction…there is an underlying positive element tangled up in the onslaught of words and images.  I realized today that I have been slowly accumulating a wider variety of accounts I follow on Instagram.  This palate of accounts has begun to better satisfy every aspect of how I’d like to be stimulated on a daily basis.  What once was a feed of three topics (which made me hungry and feeling out of shape) has expanded to include people who can inspire my writing…other writers, poets, journalists. Initially, it didn’t occur to me to use social media to inspire my work.  And if I am to be truly honest here, the reason I sought out writers was because I simply wanted to know who was doing what I was doing…writing prose and posting photos. It didn’t seem to be a unique combination, but I haven’t found many who mirror my style.  But that didn’t stop me from following writers whose words, in their unique form, spoke to me.   What I’ve noticed with my new collection is that my “feed” is no longer flat.  As I scroll through the daily images I am not simple looking, double tapping, and passing through. Instead, I linger on the words and I ponder the messages.  I may even jot down a thought or two.
What I’ve come to realize is that it is your responsibility to build your community so you may be inspired every day to pursue your goals and dreams.   Who are the people you want to surround yourself with? Who inspires you?  I find when I spend time with creative people it fuels the fire in my writing, but I never recognized how I could use technology to mimic that experience.  Although it is no substitute for the human connection or the collaboration that can happen when people come together, the use of social media can certainly be used in a constructive manner.  So now instead of a distraction my Instagram fix is like a quick espresso shot of motivation.