I became a HUGE T.S. Eliot fan in college because of this quote: “Immature poets imitate, mature poets steal.”
This post from 37Signals weblog Signal vs. Noise was better than anything I could have imagined writing today, so I’m just going to go with it. I hope it inspires you on a flat dreary Monday.
Inspiration is like picking up one of those blinky things in a video game that makes you invincible for awhile. You can do anything, go anywhere, and you don’t have to worry about it.
Those blinky things exist in real life too. It may be a picture, or some words, or a sound, or a idea, or a mistake, or a moment. Whatever it is, pick it up and run with it. Run with it like you stole it.
You can’t bottle up inspiration. You can’t put it in a ziplock, toss it in the freezer, and fish it out later. It’s instantly perishable if you don’t eat it while it’s fresh.
On Friday I was inspired by a few things. I swore off the weekend and dove into it. And I got about 2 weeks of work done in 24 hours. Inspiration is a time machine.
Inspiration is a magical thing, a productivity multiplier, a motivator. But it won’t wait for you. Inspiration is a now thing. If it grabs you, grab it right back and put it to work.
Filed under: Knotbabble, Now, Work | 1 Comment
“Bad artists copy. Great artists steal.”
— Pablo Picasso
In the Creative World, the act of copying or stealing is essential to discovering our own style. As a creative individual learns to replicate what ever has inspired them, they will also learn new ways of thinking and acting on creative instincts. For some, the outcome of their efforts is much like the original source of inspiration. Others will produce a completely independent piece that may reflect their influence or inspiration, but more importantly speaks to who they’ve become through their exploration of inspiration.
Pac-Man Fever