What inspires you? When was the last time you felt inspired? How do you stay inspired?
Webster Dictionary defines Inspiration as; a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation.
I’m in the midst of the summer blues and not feeling inspired to write this column, an email, a post on Facebook, or a text message. And yet, duty calls and here I am writing anyway! I look around the café for something; anything fresh, exciting or motivational to encourage me to write, hoping it will be of interest to you.
I think they should rename it summer grays instead of blues because usually, a blue sky will inspire me, but today, it’s looking pretty darn gray here in my mind.
I sit, I wait… listen to Wilson Pickett’s song “In the Midnight Hour” on the speakers and glance at the others around me. I tell myself that like all clouds, this too shall pass and shortly I will return to my ‘the cup is half full’ way of living life.
And just like that, a shift happens and the clouds part. What was it? Was it the song reminding me I don’t have till the midnight hour for this to pass! Or was it a moment ago, when I overheard the barista say to a customer, “I’m going to shift from behind the camera to in front of the camera.”
I think it was the word ‘shift’ that woke me up because usually, I’m that person saying you can change your perspective at any moment, literally, right now.
I do believe this. It might be difficult at first, but like any spiritual practice, exercise routine or a discipline of your choice, it becomes easier, and your senses will eventually sharpen. The more you practice at shifting your perception when feeling out of alignment, the easier it is to become and remain inspired (open to a divine influence or action) to have a revelation and hopefully, put it to good use.
Though you can never know for sure where a moment of inspiration will come from, how long it might last or if it’s going to serve a bigger picture, the one thing I continually find is that noticing with the least amount of judgment increases the odds of a shift occurring to refill your cup.
But back to reality. It’s mid-July, summer is in full swing, the ocean is warm, and anything is possible, right?
‘Til the next inspiration lands on you.
Guy Camilleri is a Venice-based actor, acting coach, and poet. He teaches regular classes on Monday and Wednesday evenings at the Electric Lodge, in Venice. His private coaching specializes in audition preparation, career consults, and self-taping. To audit a class or book a coaching session, email: guy@rawactingstudio.com. Follow Guy on Facebook and on Instagram @guycamilleri.