Monday, May 23, 2011

Creativity and Inspiration

My daughter and I went to see Peter Pan yesterday. It was a production in a circus tent that involved acrobats along with an IMAX type projection screen on the walls of the tent.  Totally AMAZING.


The crocodile was made of coat hangers from the Darling kids' closet.

When I see things like this, I am reminded of how truly creative and incredible people are. Peter Pan has been in production for 100 years. And it has now been brought to a 2011 sensibility of media-lovin' IMAX circus-fanatic kids. Brilliant.

I have been reading and editing a lot. Between 3 and 4 books a week. And most of it is spectacular. I remain in awe of writers. You would think every idea has been done before but it is not so.

I have never seen a smokin' hot gargoyle before reading Jess' book. I bet none of you have.

After seeing yesterday's play, I started to think about where creativity comes from? Where do people get their inspiration?

GESTAPO came out of a conversation I had with my sister when we were in junior high. (Which, er, was a little while ago...)

RADIO STATIONS came from reading an invitation for the junior high graduation announcement of my kids' Montessori school.

My next one (yes, I have an idea already) came from a monologue I performed in my college acting class. (Plus, a HILARIOUS email conversation with my CP Carrie about the made-for-TV summer camp movie "Poison Ivy" that starred Michael J. Fox as a counselor).

So tell me, where do you all get your inspiration?

4 comments:

Jenna Cooper said...

Hm, mostly "what if" questions, or other random bits of life.

Jus Accardo said...

Anywhere and everywhere! My brain is like a random idea generator. I see mold growing in the fridge (no there's no mold in my fridge--at the moment..) and a distant, exotic world with fuzzy plants comes to mind.

Perfect example! I passed this REALLY awesome looking black metal gate and just HAD to stop and take a picture of it because it sparked an awesome idea :D

Of course the property owners chased me off the lawn for taking "pictures to fence their house" .....

ali cross said...

I'm with you ... I find ideas EVERYWHERE. And that play sounds amazing!

Carrie said...

We're men of Camp Pinewood, we stand tall and proud
And we think it feels good to sing it out loud!

The idea for my WIP came from a line in a Mary Oliver poem. Images from poetry always kick start my imagination.