Developing Inspiration So You Can ‘Tune In’ At Will

Inspiration can be an elusive state of being. But when you’re in it – you sure know it. The feeling fills you with an abundance of creativity and the motivation to actually get the job done. Your connection with Source is free-flowing, and you seemingly exert no effort, even though your output can be through the roof.

My personality type thrives on creative output, and becomes stifled and frustrated when not creating something. So naturally developing inspiration is very important for someone like me. But I’d argue that it’s important for everyone, in most areas of life.

Why Developing Inspiration is a Top Priority


For me (writing this blog), I feel the inspiration as ideas to write down.

If I don’t write them there and then, the muse, the inspiration, will pass and not return for some time. It becomes elusive.

But I soon realized that the more I practiced, the more easily I could get back into the flow, and essentially ‘tune in’ to the muse and channel infinite intelligence. Letting the mind get out of the way, the fingers are free to type or scrawl the message that needs to be brought to life. We can always edit it later, but that initial inspiration is key.

So, the more we listen to our inspiration and respond with action, the more the inspiration will respond to us. We can call upon it, and it will deliver.

At the same time, you can’t force it. It’s elusive to the critical mind, and to the chattering-monkey mind, it never comes. It takes practice, patience, and discipline. That’s because it comes with routine, repetition, and hard work.

It’s the result of feeling and clarity. It requires that “you” (your self-concept or ego) get out of the way (it requires that you generate some low-alpha or creative-theta brainwaves). It’s a learned bodily state, meaning that if you’ve ever been inspired in your life, you can develop the ability to call upon it at will.

How to Develop Your Inspiration:

  • When you have the inclination, write it down.
  • When you hear ‘the voice,’ write it down.
  • When you feel the muse, write it down.
  • When you are stirred to action, act.

These are some of the many sparks of inspiration. And when we are called, we must respond. It’s our duty.

If your field is writing, then you must write down your ideas during the moment of inspiration, whenever it calls. Middle of the night? Get a notebook and a torch. Middle of a commute? Get a dictaphone app. Point is: take action on the inspiration. Respond to the communication, real-time.

If your field is art, painting, photography, film, or other visual art, writing down your ideas as they come knocking may also do the trick. But also be prepared to sketch, storyboard or color. Take action there and then.

What If I’ve Got Writer’s Block, What Then?

You might be over-worked, over-stressed, or disconnected with your true self. You can’t remember the last time inspiration came a knocking. Time to take matters into your own hands and get down to business. You need to do two seemingly opposite things.

  1. Surrender
  2. Get disciplined

Surrender to your here and now situation. Don’t pile on any emotional judgement or suffering on top. Let it be as it is. Now.

And exercise discipline to stick to a work schedule:

Sit down at your desk and write, inspiration or not. Set a two page goal or something. Let the work be as crappy as whatever comes out.

The first draft of anything is shit.

Ernest Hemingway

Pretty soon, following your set routine, inspiration will know where and when to find you. Sitting at your desk at your set time, your hands will begin to flow with the ideas of the universe, fully inspired and seemingly automatic. You will be the midwife to the ideas that need to come into this world, the ultimate creation of the divine, just lending it the body to bring it to life.

You are the conduit of the divine.

The Secret to Calling Your Intuition Whenever You Need It

The secret to putting it to work for you, is to first serve it. Understand that it is there primarily to bring some thing, whatever it may be, from nothingness into this reality. If you honor its “voice” with here-and-now action, it will honor your intention and show up when you call.

What is your relationship with inspiration? Let me know in the comments 🙂

Photo: fras1977

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • Cornel Nazareth Apr 15, 2012 @ 21:00

    Excellant. I’m going to try it.

  • Xina Apr 11, 2012 @ 11:47

    “It takes practice, patience, and discipline. That’s because it comes with routine, repetition, and hard work.”

    No matter how much I try to resist discipline, practice, routine and repetition I always realise in the end that resistance if futile. If I really want to be successful in self management, there’s only so long that I can bluff, blag, wing it and play it by ear.

    It’s so much simpler when I have a decent practice which incorporates meditation so that I can focus on my one hour daily holiday to Me. With that, every thing else comes and I remain focussed and inspired.

    I love your blog <3

    • Jim Apr 11, 2012 @ 12:11

      “daily holiday to Me” ~ I love that! I think you’re absolutely right.

      You know, I’ve found that it’s actually so much more work for me to maintain the psychic resistance, than it is to surrender to what I have to do, and just do it.

      Now, the only role discipline plays is getting me to show up. Then, the actual ‘doing’ is enjoyable and doesn’t seem like work at all!

      Thanks Xina 🙂

  • Shilpan Apr 9, 2012 @ 14:30

    Jim, I agree with you that when inspiration strikes your mind, capture it! You can let go great ideas when they surf your mind. Love it!

    • Jim Apr 9, 2012 @ 14:49

      Absolutely Shilpan! When I started acting on my inspirations, they became more and more frequent. Amazingly awesome stuff 🙂