Regardless of what path you walk in life, there are often guides that inspire you and draw you toward a specific direction. Maybe you became an accountant because you loved the specificity and language of numbers in grade school. Perhaps you became a chef because you felt loved when your parents made you a flavorful and warm home-cooked meal as a child.
In my case, I became a pianist because of the artistic and personal freedom it gave me. I saw other pianists like Beethoven, Thelonious Monk, and Tori Amos create such gorgeous, rich, and powerful work. They inspired me to find my own artistic and creative path.
Luckily, we can find inspiration anywhere. You might be doing your morning jog and pass by a house with a blooming garden. Its colors, textures, and smells bursting at the seams.
You might be watching this, as I was one day, and be totally mesmerized . . .
Something as simple as the design of a chair, with its balance of sharp angles versus wide curves and soft textures vs. hard surfaces, can ignite an imagination:
There is literally inspiration everywhere. I find it beneficial when I am creatively stuck or when I am simply bored to call on my creative muses. I love to geek out on what I love most.
Here is a short list of some of my inspirational go-to’s:
- Just about ANY Madonna music video. (I have been a big fan for years.) Her talent lies in her sharp point-of-view. The music and the visuals honor her perspective. She leaves nothing to chance. Badass women are my superheroes.
- Any performance by Michelle Kwan at a US Figure Skating Championship. She schools us all on the confluence of intricate technical skill, gritty athleticism, graceful artistic expression, and fiery charisma. It is Asian power on full display.
- An album called “August and Everything After” by Counting Crows. The lyricism and emotions in this album will reach into you. A collection of songs drenched in devastation and yearning never felt so good. Lead singer Adam Duritz’s voice is comforting and expressive. Imagine being wrapped in a soft blanket, sitting on a recliner in front of a fireplace, and holding a cup of warm coffee in your hands on the coldest winter day ever. This is what this album feels like. It is a masterful work. Here is a song from that album called “Anna Begins”:
- A Piano. Any Piano. All Pianos.
So, what inspires you? What gets your creative fires stoked? It is ESSENTIAL to have a list of ideas, people, music, or artwork that inspire you that you can access quickly.
Find it, wherever and whatever it is. Be it on Youtube, Instagram, in a book, in your bedroom, or anywhere outside your front door. Geek out on it privately or publicly. Hold onto it for dear life and cherish it often.
Just as food and water feed our bodies, our inspirations will feed our spirits and enrich our lives.
-Roqué
As a bonus, she was 15 years old when she did this. This was a close call. Find out if she won at the end . . .