Inspirations. Where do they come from? Have you set ever sat back and wondered, just where your inspiration comes from? Sometimes it can come from the oddest thing! Above is a self portrait of myself and a very dear old friend - Victor. We were on a bike trip out to the coast last year and we stopped beside the road just outside of Hope, British Columbia. That one image has given me countless thoughts about things to write.
In the movie 'Always' with Richard Dreyfus, Holly Hunter and John Goodman, the inspiration for pilots is depicted as the dead fliers who have gone on before you. They become your conscious - your spirit guide. That little nagging voice that tells you when you're doing something right and something wrong! Is it too far from the truth? Who knows? I could beguile you with my own philosophies but that should be left for another time and... maybe another place. By the way, if you have not yet seen that movie, it's a must see!
For me, inspirations come in the smallest of things. A certain look someone has while they quietly muse on some deep thought. A look. The worn sandstone blocks on the corner of an old building. A tear in the eye of a woman as she sits in the car next to you as she glances up and makes eye contact while her man berates her. It's the things in life that catch your eye and sometimes your heart.
In the movie 'Always' with Richard Dreyfus, Holly Hunter and John Goodman, the inspiration for pilots is depicted as the dead fliers who have gone on before you. They become your conscious - your spirit guide. That little nagging voice that tells you when you're doing something right and something wrong! Is it too far from the truth? Who knows? I could beguile you with my own philosophies but that should be left for another time and... maybe another place. By the way, if you have not yet seen that movie, it's a must see!
For me, inspirations come in the smallest of things. A certain look someone has while they quietly muse on some deep thought. A look. The worn sandstone blocks on the corner of an old building. A tear in the eye of a woman as she sits in the car next to you as she glances up and makes eye contact while her man berates her. It's the things in life that catch your eye and sometimes your heart.
I have two favorite memories that I will carry and hold the closest to my very soul until my last breath. Both coincidentally happened in the rain. The first - It was late fall and close to around 10:00pm. A Friday night, and the rain was a steady down-pour. I was called out on an emergency to meet with new clients who were sitting at home freezing - they had no heat. This couple lived in a condominium complex; one of the nicest in town with a Italian styling to the buildings and beautifully manicured grounds. As I rounded the corner, a young woman stood in a trench coat and high heels with an umbrella pulled low. The light streaming down from the Tudor style street lamp cut a swath through the rain casting a shadow over her face. She was waiting for me. As I stepped from my truck, she held the umbrella out for me so I would not get wet. As the umbrella moved away from her face, a beautiful platinum blonde with red lipstick smiled and thanked me for coming. Now I know what your thinking but seriously, that is exactly what and how it happened! In this I have taken no liberties. These folks were from Sweden and their hospitality was second to none. Once inside I could not even begin to do anything for these wonderful people, until they fed me a hot meal. I was seriously blown away! But that scene of her standing in the rain with her umbrella is forever burned into my mind and that image - by far one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
The second scene has a little less impact but was every bit as romantic and breathtaking. It was about the same time of year and late at night when I was traveling home from sisters house. As I came upon my corner, I saw a woman walking her dog. She was also in a trench coat and heels with her umbrella pulled low. Her Shiatsu strolled causally beside her as she continued walking away from me. I remember stopping and shutting down my engine as I rolled down my window and watched her. It was a light rain that night, mixed with a slight bit of fog. The click of her heels on the sidewalk carried in the cool night air and I had to just sit and drink it in. It was breath taking in its simplicity, beauty and surrealism.
It's moments like these that can be the most inspiring for a writer. Weather you're a romance writer or a mystery writer and even a paranormal author; it all adds to the moment. That fracture in time that you can hold and carry with you as you click away at your keyboard and tell your story.
So next time you get that lingering scent of perfume in the air or that glance with a smile from someone passing by, or even spot that small piece of history on the corner of a coffee shop building; take a moment for pause and reflection. After all, it is a gift for you. Take in the moment, breath it in, run your hand along the worn rock or a weathered wooden rail. Be a part of it and it will stay with you forever. Life is to be tasted, breathed in and experienced. Let life inspire you. But then again... this is just one man's opinion.
Trip...
The second scene has a little less impact but was every bit as romantic and breathtaking. It was about the same time of year and late at night when I was traveling home from sisters house. As I came upon my corner, I saw a woman walking her dog. She was also in a trench coat and heels with her umbrella pulled low. Her Shiatsu strolled causally beside her as she continued walking away from me. I remember stopping and shutting down my engine as I rolled down my window and watched her. It was a light rain that night, mixed with a slight bit of fog. The click of her heels on the sidewalk carried in the cool night air and I had to just sit and drink it in. It was breath taking in its simplicity, beauty and surrealism.
It's moments like these that can be the most inspiring for a writer. Weather you're a romance writer or a mystery writer and even a paranormal author; it all adds to the moment. That fracture in time that you can hold and carry with you as you click away at your keyboard and tell your story.
So next time you get that lingering scent of perfume in the air or that glance with a smile from someone passing by, or even spot that small piece of history on the corner of a coffee shop building; take a moment for pause and reflection. After all, it is a gift for you. Take in the moment, breath it in, run your hand along the worn rock or a weathered wooden rail. Be a part of it and it will stay with you forever. Life is to be tasted, breathed in and experienced. Let life inspire you. But then again... this is just one man's opinion.
Trip...
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