Does that inspire you?

Sometimes it takes a while for...
...inspiration to come.
Oh, yes, yes. Let Mummy help.
Does that inspire you? – Moulin Rouge

I feel challenged and overwhelmed on how to translate “Inspiration” on paper. There are so many portals and avenues in which we feel inspired. Alone with different genres’ in which artists can express themselves, such as painting, writing, dancing, acting, etc. Talent runs deeply through a creator’s bones; although some feel as if inspiration is not needed to create art.

But, I wonder if that is even possible!

For Instance: As I am being developed in my writing skills; I find that my melancholy nature gravitates toward gloomy days, chill music and a broken heart. As sporadic as these elements align with one another, I feel free in my composition, and enjoy my works for a party of one. I am not interested in pleasing the masses; I am only interested in healing my soul. I also believe inspiration is birthed with in us; a divine influence directly and immediately exerted upon the mind or soul.Dictionary.com.

The Ancient Greeks believed that their inspiration came from the Muses – protectors of the arts; as well as the gods, Apollo - god of music, poetry, and the sun, and Dionysus - god of wine, theatre, and ecstasy. While in Christianity, inspiration is a gift of the Holy Spirit. It’s is believed by Christians that although the Bible was written by men, the words and revelation came from GOD.

Not all inspired people believe in a higher power, they rely on logic and science to determine the outcome of the gifts. Sigmund Freud located inspiration in the inner psyche of the artist. He believed the artist's inspiration came out of unresolved psychological conflict or childhood trauma. Furthermore, inspiration could come directly from the subconscious aka the dream state. Freud’s belief of ‘inspiration’ being in the mind, encouraged, the Surrealists, to seek out creativity by turning to dream diaries, automatic writing, and the use of spiritualist and/or mediums. They also used poetry as a guidance to enable their imagination.

No matter the origin of inspiration, the most common idea is that it stems out from love. Sweet, unabashed, heart pumping, can’t live with, or without – why do birds suddenly appear – love. The love between two individuals can inspire a person to create a sonnet, write a song or paint a masterpiece.
Alexander Galtchansky and Tanya Wissotzky, both born in 1959, were inspired by love. Alexander, a book illustrator, and Wissotzky, a painter, married and joined their talents together creating a lifelong artistic partnership. In their artworks, the pair built one canvas leaving a love note, poem or song to indicate when it was time for the other to take over and leave their mark on the painting. Unfortunately, Wissotzky passed away from cancer in 2006, and the need to create passed away with her for Alexander. With the passing of his beloved, there was a void which some believed he could not live with, and he himself perished a mere two years later. You can collect their “love-inspired” artworks at the 2011 Summer Auction.

Regardless of your belief in the way you feel inspired, the best way for me to describe it for the masses is summed up by the “experts” of Wikipedia:

“In modern psychology, inspiration is not frequently studied, but it is generally seen as an entirely internal process. In each view, however, whether empiricist {realist} or mystical {spiritual}, inspiration is, by its nature, beyond control. “