Journey: Books (and More) for Inspiration

Ever have that moment? That sense that everything is falling together - you feel you can do anything - here's your chance to show the world what you are here for?

Oh you haven't? Welcome to the club! While we would love to be inspired by things, objects, events, people, classes, paths, and journeys, sometimes we need a little help. Okay, maybe a lot of help....but we need to believe in ourselves and what we are doing, and yet, that seems so far away - because we have school, a job, a family, responsibilities, but as soon as we get all of that done, then we'll be able to be inspired. It's so close, isn't it? That chance to do it all, or even to hold our own. To make a living, or make something of ourselves. To see the world, or at least the forest for the trees. The sense of being lost when we just haven't found our guide - maybe we just need to step up and take control - but do we know how? Do we actually know what we're controlling?

This is when an inspiration source, board, pic, or book (or many of each helps). In my classes, I wanted the students to use both sides of their brain. I felt the traditional classroom tended to overtax the left side of their brain, the numbers, the analytics, the laundry list of steps needed to complete the task that may or may not be necessary to future successes in their lives. I emphasized tasks that jarred the right side of the brain. Yes, we need to know times for meetings and when the deadlines are, but we need to stop to admire the beauty all around us - the sunrise and all it's vibrant colors on a beautiful morning, the feel of our toes in the warm sand, the waves licking our feet, the distant squawk of a passing bird, could be any kind but we're near the water so most likely a seagull, but how about a pelican, a hawk, or even an eagle? And yes, we can picture all of this, if we just let ourselves imagine the possibilities. The students would create inspiration boards to help them start a project, or create an ad, or even brainstorm to create something we've never seen before.

Books I would recommend for students to "mindmap" their ideas included readings from Sherlock Holmes, writers who looked at things differently like Vonnegut or Adams, and amazing reads in their own right, like Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (of Eat, Pray, Love fame - and watch her TEDtalk), The Element by sir Ken Robinson (and also watch his presentation of Creativity on TEDtalks as well) - oh heck, just watch all of the TEDtalk presentations - we'd also watch inspirational people such as Steve Jobs giving his only commencement speech or Randy Pausch (of Last Lecture fame), or Neil Gaiman's commencement speech on what art is (also read his View from the Cheap Seats, or even better, get the audio - he reads the entire book in that mesmerizing British accent of his) - now take each of these, and add your favorites. Now you've created an inspiration board. So what inspires you on your journey????