The Merriam-Webster Dictionary1 explains that the word “inspiration” comes from the Latin word inspiratus, which means “to breathe into, inspire.” Originally, it referred to a divine influence on a person. Later, it came to mean “the drawing of air into the lungs,” which medical personnel still use. Only since the 19th century has it come to mean what it commonly means today, which is, “someone or something that inspires.”
Any of you who have written something, or any other creative act, have felt it. The quickening of the breath and heartbeat, the feeling that light or some kind of energy is entering you, and the excitement that something new is being created through you. I know you know what I am talking about.
Singer Jon Bon Jovi, when talking about his song “It’s My Life,” and how it resonated with so many people, said, “When you write a song like that and it hits that nerve, you don’t know where it comes from, or why, but if it comes from that pure place, chances are it’s gonna hit that pure place for someone else.”
Where does such “inspiration” come from?
I have come to believe that all artists—musicians, writers, actors, etc.—have one foot in the spirit world. What I mean is, they are open to inspiration from that “other place.” Being open to that sometimes makes us a little “unusual” to everyone else. There is a commonly-used quote, “There is a thin line between genius and insanity.”
Last December, I watched the movie The Man Who Invented Christmas, made in 2017. I had seen it advertised before, but thought it was about Santa Claus. Then I saw a preview on Amazon Prime and realized it was about the writing of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, so I finally watched it.
That movie was so liberating for me. I didn’t feel quite as “crazy,” or, at least, I realized I am in good company!
Anyone who has written a book will recognize the torture Dickens went through to write A Christmas Carol, including finding the inspiration, writing, rewriting, and rewriting again; dealing with a publisher, and the joy of holding his book in his hands for the first time, seeing an idea that began in his heart and mind manifested in a physical book.
I believe if something comes from that “pure place,” as Bon Jovi called it, it is timeless. We continue to value and cherish writing such as A Christmas Carol, the music of Bach, Beethoven, and others, works of art such as the Mona Lisa, the statue of David, and the paintings of van Gogh, after hundreds or even thousands of years, because they touch that “pure place” inside of us, because they are “inspired” works.
Jo Ann Crooks is a native Arizonan, born in Phoenix. She started writing poetry and winning awards while in grade school. In high school, she helped publish a poetry anthology, contributing several pieces. A former columnist for the Arizona Authors Digest, Jo Ann’s book is now available on Amazon.com
