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“Inspiration is wonderful when it happens, but the writer must develop an approach for the rest of the time . . . The wait is simply too long.”

 — Leonard Bernstein

Inspiration is not just for writers. It is a wonderful asset for achieving your dreams in any walk of life. Finding inspiration, though, is an interesting and sometimes frustrating journey. Most of us wait for it to hit, like nomads in the desert searching the sky for the possibility of rain.

Leonard Bernstein suggested that you can do more than wait. Develop a plan for the off time. Set an approach to life when you are not bubbling over with inspiration. You can accomplish just as much on an average, uninspired day, if you are in the practice of cultivating inspiration. The work is just a bit more tedious.

One terrific way to cultivate inspiration is to start a journal. Get in the practice of writing in your journal every day. If you don’t know what to say, write “I don’t know what to say.” Pretty soon you’ll get bored with that statement and write down what’s really on your mind. The key to journaling is honesty. This is not an assignment you will ever turn in to a teacher, so say what you really feel.

When you journal, you are turning over the earth of your mind and soul and getting it ready for planting ideas. Journaling is a non-judgmental task. Just write down what comes to mind. Let your pen on the paper be an extension of your thoughts. Do not try to think about what you are going to say first and then write it down. This is not meant to be a perfect composition. The action is much more important than the result.

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