Samurais and purple skittles - Inspiration itself is strange

Pick out all the purple skittles and give away the rest.

I haven’t posted in a while for a multitude of legitimate reasons. Primarily, I’ve been increasingly busy reporting. But on top of that, in those fleeting moments of free time, it can be difficult to summon the inspiration to even choose a topic to write about.

Such a process can end up so contrived. I don’t want to agonise over a notepad deciding what I feel is worth writing about. I’ve done that in the past with other creative endeavours and it doesn’t work for me. Donning a profound expression and staring out the window, on the other hand...

Inspiration itself is strange. The feeling, the inspiration to do something specific, erupts as unpredictably and overwhelmingly as a volcano. Sometimes you know why, and sometimes you have to look further into yourself to figure it out.

You can refine a sense of inspiration by sensing what inspires you, studying it and figuring out why it inspires you. But to summon that inspiration at will, while it lies dormant, is almost always impossible.

But inspiration doesn't have to be profound. Sometimes I'm inspired to stand up for my values, or communicate them to others. I'll watch Louis Theroux masterfully craft a story, exposing illogical and damaging attitudes, and give a proud albeit pathetic round of applause. Or I'll listen to Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited and ask myself "from whence such words sprung?" for the hundredth time. Or put on Seven Samurai and yell childlike encouragement at the television every five minutes. Or pick out all the purple skittles and give away the rest.

Some people rarely feel, or come to terms with, their own inspirations - the values, views, and feelings that give their aspirations meaning. As an introvert, that’s alien to me. But obviously, different people are by nature different. Maybe juggling is your thing, or skydiving, or reviewing Korean barbeques. The more obscure, the better.

Personally, I mainly draw inspiration from moral ideals, and individuals who struggle or sacrifice to make the world a better place. But I’m also inspired by anyone that pursues their passion, in a way that doesn’t compromise their integrity. There’s something both infectious and admirable about someone overcoming the odds, ignoring all the self-titled ‘realists’ and conquering their ambitions - only to raise them.

In other words, samurais.

...and purple skittles.