Inspiration? Don’t let it kill your dreams

The truth? Too often, it’s an excuse for laziness

Inspiration might be what’s killing your dreams. The concept is not just overrated — it can be downright deadly to productivity.

As an artist, I am especially familiar with the pitfalls of inspiration. What’s so bad about being inspired? Isn’t that what art is all about? Sure, if you’re a hobbyist. But if you actually want to build a career in the arts, waiting for inspiration is like chaining an anchor to your foot.

The fallacy concerning inspiration is that it is a necessary ingredient in the passionate execution of a task. I have fallen victim to this mentality, for years at a time, in fact. I have excused my lack of productivity by stating that I just don’t feel inspired, and you cannot force the creative process.

But you can. Of course this still requires intent, vision, ideas, and probably at least some combination of skill and talent. Don’t get me wrong — you can’t force being an artist, but if you are one, you can certainly push your creative process past the need for that initial enlightening spark.

Here’s the hard truth about inspiration: it’s an excuse for laziness. How often are you suddenly moved to do something requiring effort after an intake of caffeine, or with the uninhibiting influence of alcohol? Spiking your energy level with coffee and muting your reluctance with liquid courage are methods of creating the false experience of being inspired to following through on a project you may have been putting off, simply because you have lacked the physical drive.

Inspiration isn’t tangible. Ideas are tangible, and a false need for inspiration might be standing like a blockade between you and your ideas, preventing you from putting them into practice.

Realizing that inspiration is a blanket term for a feeling caused by other much more concrete factors has freed me to take complete ownership of my productivity, my body of work, and the trajectory of my career as a multidisciplinary artist.

I no longer sit around waiting for some ethereal force to move me in creative directions. If I don’t feel like working, I take a break, and I am honest with myself regarding my reasons — I am tired, I am distracted by a fun or social activity — or I take action.

There are many valuable sources of energy and creative ideas to be utilized in Hamilton. For example, I walk around the neighbourhoods of the downtown area almost daily. Physical activity is energizing, and the sensory experience of a bustling urban core is conducive to developing ideas. And, of course, there are the many galleries and events that comprise our thriving arts community.

The monthly Art Crawl on James Street North is a staple for many Hamilton artists. I find that the more engaged I am in all that my city has to offer, the more productive I am in my own studio, and the more driven I feel to contribute publicly as well. Submissions are no longer being accepted for this year’s Supercrawl, to be held from Sept. 8 to 10, but if you are an artist combating a blasé attitude, get out and see what your peers are up to, and maybe you’ll be ready to apply next year.

I speak on this topic from an arts perspective, but these ideas can be applied to other careers and areas of life. People procrastinate on starting and finishing all manner of independent projects because they are waiting until they feel like it.

Don’t wait. Many great ideas are hidden within the mental cellars of our community, and especially at this crucial time of growth, Hamilton is a nurturing environment for novelty, creativity, and innovation. Don’t allow the veil of inspiration to obscure yours.

Laura Furster is a fine artist, literary writer, and journalist living in downtown Hamilton. She can be found on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram, and at www.laura-furster.com. Contact: laura.furster@outlook.com.