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The Inspiration Formula

David Sherry
2 min read

Art is about the approach to your craft!

And that's why it's so mysterious.

Could I really write up a post that gives you a "how to" for being the Beatles? Or Michael Jackson? Or Jackson Pollack or Patti Smith?

A formula for inspiration? It doesn't exist.

We want prescriptions, and we want to follow the guidelines that will give us the outcome we're looking to gain; because it's so much easier to follow the template than the blank canvas. And every day, a new tool pops up that tries to give us paint by numbers.

But these quick fixes give us the trap door or a way out to avoid facing what we're really capable of. And ultimately, the template won't provide you or the people you serve with your art what they're starving for: meaning, wonder, excitement, and stimulation.

So every time we quiet that voice in our heads and opt for the "sure bet," we're left feeling empty.

And every time we listen to our gut and create unabashedly, we feel full.

What if we had to walk out of the woods entirely on our own to create what's truly in us? I know, the thought is frightening.

Our greatest fear is the fear of ourselves.

Inspiration and art are something much deeper than prescription.

They are layers below the surface, at a time where so often our culture distracts us in ways that keep us at the surface.

But if you want to dig deep…

If you know this to be true emotionally rather than logically…

Then you know there's no formula.

So how do we grow our ability as an artist?

We change our perception. We chip away at what's false. This is how we escape from the world of "how to."

First, and foremost, art is learning to see differently. It's uncovering your unique perspective on the world. It's a process of removal until you find who you are at the core. And then you learn to listen...

You build confidence over time by tapping into a place that's true, unobstructed by your fears, or the cultural-shoulds in your head.

And eventually, that confidence turns into work, and into a repeatable process that only you perform, which is hard to come back from. You learn to get into a rhythm, into a flow, and you miss it every moment you're not.

Ultimately, your art is created by connecting the dots of all your inspirations and unique vision in a way that no one else has ever done before.

In a way that's never been done before.

Because there's no one else like you.

That's art. That's the opportunity.

Sure, let others be beacons and guides.

But only you can uncover and share your art.

And we're starving for it!

xx David

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