How do Inspiration and Creativity Relate to SoulCare®?

Have you ever seen or heard something so beautiful that it stopped you in your tracks? Take yourself back there. What were you feeling in that moment? ‍

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In moments like that, we are often feeling inspiration.‍

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Inspiration happens when we engage with the world in a way that awakens us to new possibilities. That “aha” feeling we get during moments of inspiration produces dopamine, creating a feeling of pleasure similar to eating or drinking. Inspiration then moves us towards creativity. Creativity brings our ideas and skills to life, resulting in something new.

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Inspiration can come at the most unexpected times and places. It can happen when we are experiencing something new for the very first time, or when we are seeing something that has always been there, but in a new light. We can use creativity in anything we do, from planning a meal to playing an instrument.

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‍When I was young, I would watch music videos on YouTube after school. I came across a video of a guy doing a musical cover of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" from the Lion King. As the first few notes of the song started, I noticed something was different. There was no background track or band. Everything from the instrumentation to the vocals was coming from him, and only him! I had never seen anything like it. I was glued to the screen. I spent the next hour (let's be honest... several hours) watching videos of people beatboxing. This discovery struck a chord of wonder within me.‍

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In other words, these videos inspired me.

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‍As silly as it may sound, that inspiration awakened something new in me. I decided that day that I would become the next great beatboxing sensation. How hard could it be, right? I'm sure you can imagine how painfully embarrassing my first attempt at beatboxing was, but if you need a better picture of how awkward it truly was, just try it for yourself. Say the phrase "boots and cats" out loud over and over again, speeding up as you go. Voila! You're on your way to becoming a beatboxing pro too!‍

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Creativity is born out of inspiration. When we do something creative, we allow our inspiration and individual skill set to intersect and bring about something new. This applies to all of us, even those who say they “don’t have a creative bone in their body.”

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While my professional beatboxing career never took off, teaching myself how to beatbox was a fun creative outlet at the time. Spending intentional time learning a new skill brought me joy, kept anxious thoughts away, and gave me a reason to laugh. Sounds a lot like SoulCare® if you ask me.

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Inspiration and creativity both play a role in SoulCare® and how we experience the world. Life often feels like it goes a million miles per hour, leaving us exhausted. The discipline of stopping to reflect on something that inspires us or scheduling time to express ourselves creatively nourishes our soul.

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Challenge: ask a friend, coworker or family member to share with you a piece of music, artwork or literature that inspires. Reflect on how you felt when experiencing it for yourself.

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Reflection Questions

• What is something that recently inspired you? What quality did you find inspiring?
• When is the last time you did something creative? 
• Where are some places you can look for inspiration? Outside? Youtube? Spotify? The pantry?
• What was the last skill you learned?
• What is the next skill you'd like to learn?

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