Inspiration is a much-discussed part of the creative process. There are two parts to inspiration: all the inputs that feed inspiration and the moment of inspiration itself. While we may not be able to control the flash of inspiration and its timing, we can help lay the groundwork. The key is to expose ourselves and our children to experiences that can inspire us.
A childhood walk in the woods inspired nonfiction writer Melissa Stewart and her writings. Her father asked Melissa and her brother to look carefully. What did they see? Melissa noticed smaller, younger trees surrounded by taller, older trees. She was right; there had been a fire years before, and the young trees had sprouted after the fire. That experience — thanks to her dad — helped Melissa see the narrative in nature and influenced her career path and writings.
While I was at the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Conference, my husband texted me at 10:o0 p.m. Sunday evening. Should he wake up Cooper to watch the Curiosity rover land on Mars. Yes! Yes! Yes! When we visited the Jet Propulsion Laboratory months ago, I was struck by how many members of the Mars Science Laboratory team remembered watching the Apollo 11 moon landing on television. They pointed to that experience as the inspiration for their work in space science. That same event, along with the book, THE RIGHT STUFF, inspired my husband to become a test pilot. I knew letting Cooper witness the event might provide him with the inspiration he needs to study Mars or other planets some day.
As a parent, I know we can provide opportunities and experiences that could inspire our children’s career path, creative work, hobbies or interests. As a writer, I know the more knowledge and experiences I have to draw from, the richer my work will be.
Kirsten W. Larson 
“Laying the groundwork for inspiration” — excellent thought. Thank you for an inspiring post!
You are so welcome, Beth! All your arts-inspired posts motivate me as well!
It’s all about living the moment and having the experience. Nothing can substitute for that.
I agree Genevieve. It’s amazing how many long-ago experiences pop up and inspire us every day.
How did Cooper enjoy the experience?
He was pretty groggy, but I think he was happy to see everyone celebrating in the control room.
Sweet!
Well said, Kirsten! Every day we have opportunities to inspire our kids (and others)…thank you for pointing this out…it is so very important that we take the time.
Every day, I try remember to seize these opportunities. I never know what they might remember.
Good for you, Kirsten…the time really flies by…my oldest son just turned 40!!!!!
You’re so right – you never know where inspiration will come from! For us or for our kids! I hope Cooper enjoyed the landing!
He did enjoy the landing, and we’ve spent a lot of time since looking at all the pictures Curiosity has sent back.
Hi Kirsten, I truly believe that some experiences have to be experienced as they happen. I can think of a number of instances with different adults I have lived with who react differently. For example my mum wouldn’t let me go off on my first trip into a city with two older girls because dinner was ready. When I au paired the mum came in and turned the tele off for us to eat and the Grand Prix was about to start. It amazes me how many are missing out because of their rigid ways. Nice to be back!
Flexibility is not my strong suit, but I am trying for the sake of my kids. We normally don’t keep the TV on during the day, but we did watch some of the Olympics so we could talk about different countries, and I could show the boys all the sports that are out there. We also were able to talk about perseverance and hard work. If I had stuck to my rigid ways, they would not have had that experience. Thanks for your comments!
I saw Curiousity launch! Then my Dad showed me it on Mars. It is cool. 🙂
We’ve been checking for pictures every day. There are some 3D ones up, so if you have 3D glasses lying around, they are cool!