I was fanning through the pictures available through Weebly and Flickr, when this one jumped out at me. (the one to the left).
I liked the way it looked - sort of stained glass effect - but I also wondered if it could do the job. The job of course would be to inspire me, the author into writing something.
Initially, I would say no - it is not inspiring me the way say a picture of a talking dog would. Also, just about any picture with a person in it could be inspiring. This picture however does not seem to have anything tangible in it. How could it possibly inspire me. I had to think about this, but not much. The above picture could inspire a story about windows in a church or an art gallery painting. The picture above could inspire a story about dreams or alien spacecrafts ( the aliens are gaseous creatures glow different colors to communicate). The picture could be what the inside of a talking dog's brain looks like. Well you get the idea. There are seemingly infinite inspirations, one can get from this picture. Many don't make sense to other people but they are not the writers, you are - so you get to choose what meaning you want to get out of this picture.
Writing, especially creative writing is all about Inspiration. Use whatever inspires you, even if it is something drab like gray clothes. Even if it is something ordinary like a can of spinach (that might be scary to some). Even if it is something boring like doing the laundry. You can't force inspiration - you have to do what the Beatles said "Let It Be."
"There will be an answer - Let It Be." Just write about whatever pops into your mind - no matter how insane it might be.
I have to go now - I am going to write about being held captive by aliens who look like dogs. Strangely they only speak English and they love abstract art which is why they came to earth.
Earth being the only place in the universe that has abstract art that looks like stained glass. Their UFO looks like a frisbee and smells like their waste disposal unit is broken. They offer to pay me in dog bones (the universal currency) but I refuse. That is when they kidnapped me.
See how easy it is to be inspired !!! Run with it - whatever it is. Run Fido Run.

That is the question that I ask myself as I listen to Billy Collins reading a poem he composed after he read another poets work. Mr. Collins was  poet laureate of the USA once and that means he is a well read and accomplished poet. He however, did not like the words of the other poet and he used these words to make a witty and thoughtful poem called - well I forget what it is called but you get the point, right?
I did. After hearing Billy words on YouTube today, I found myself with three poetry books in hand and I was also viewing a poetry website for clues too - all at the same time. It worked. I started writing a poem which I titled the Waves of Heaven. I did like my first version of it but I think I will make it a finished product tomorrow. Or the next day - The point is I was able to find inspiration from the works of others. This is a perfectly acceptable thing to do - as long as you give the other work some credit for inspiring you and as long as you do not copy large chunks of the others work (or even small chunks). You want to make your stories and poems works that reflect you - your feelings or your ideas. I just finished a chapter of a story which was inspired by a novel I was reading. I did not like the start of the novel - I felt the hook was loose and vague and not very entertaining. As a reader, I was disappointed. I could do better I said to myself. Prove it, I answered back. Four pages later, I felt I had won the argument. I called in my wife to judge and smart woman that she is - she sided with my version. Much more exciting she said.
I am still basking in the glow of that praise.
That is my second lesson of this post:
Take praise wherever and whenever you can get it - there is never too much of it no matter how good you are.
I must go steal, I mean, inspire myself further - books to read. Bye for now.