Where does inspiration come from?

As a creative designer, I'm very dependent on my inspiration. Sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not, and it got me thinking about where it comes from, when it comes, and what I can do to make it come a little more often.

According to one of my favourite books, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, inspiration comes from the words "in spirit". In his teachings, inspiration is a creative energy and intelligence that flows into you from beyond the thinking mind when you are fully present in the Now.

This made me curious. Can I actually create the right conditions for inspiration to arrive?

When I'm stressed, tired, up against a tight deadline and constantly looking at my to-do list, I notice that my creativity becomes narrower. I get into a robotic state, wanting to just get things done, ticking off my list. But when I feel present and well, I feel more receptive and open to creative ideas. I notice colours, shapes, sounds and details that might otherwise pass me by.

I experience this often when working on a new concept. I can sit in front of a blank page, knowing that I need to create a new visual direction, but nothing feels quite right. Instead of forcing it, I've learned that the best thing I can do is step away. Go for a walk, clear my head, stare at the sky or some trees, and suddenly, when I've forgotten about it for just a second, an idea pops into my head.

This happened just a couple of weeks ago. I was working from home and found out I needed to deliver designs for 12 roll-ups the same day. I could feel the stress creeping up on me and my whole body getting tight. Instead of pushing right through, I decided to take a break. I went out into the forest and sat by the lake near my house in complete silence for a while, listening to the birdsong and the sound of the water. I could feel the pressure running right off me.

When I came back, I felt completely peaceful and powerful in a very different way, and in a couple of hours most of my designs were done.

Perhaps taking care of myself is not separate from my creativity. It is part of the creative process.

This experience also got me thinking about the powerful Law of Attraction, the idea that we attract more of what we are focused on. When we focus on stress and everything that isn't working, we tend to experience more of it. But if we can manage to shift our attention towards possibility, beauty and curiosity, we immediately open up for these experiences too. Maybe inspiration works in a similar way. When I was stressed, it was out of reach. But when I slowed down enough to be present, the inspiration was already there, quietly waiting to come in spirit.