June 11, 2024

I’m amazed at how many times a day I’m inspired by something very simple. Whether it’s something I see or a memory I have, I immediately open my notes and jot it down.

*Write about the cherry tree at the house you grew up in- the summer days you spent endlessly eating cherries, spitting the pits and lounging on a beach towel in your neon bathing suit (I was a kid swimming in the mid to late 80’s.)

*Write about the time you visited the local farm stand at Christmas time and the nostalgia you experienced at their homey gift shop.

*Write about the lyrics to that song you just listened to (man, those lyrics were GOOD!)

*Write about your take-away from that TED TALK video.

On and on the list goes.

I think many of these “Write About” topics will eventually turn into short autobiographical memoir style blurbs for my blog or maybe they’ll be nothing at all. But some of them have already set me on a path to brainstorm and outline deeper thoughts and ideas on what could potentially become a full-length book.

The point is- I think we sometimes dismiss the smallest bits of inspiration too quickly. We think an idea isn’t big or interesting enough.

An idea doesn’t have to be big or interesting- but as a writer I can bring that idea to life and make it BIG- make it interesting! It’s not the topic’s responsibility- it’s the writer’s responsibility to create something meaningful! That is the magic of writing!

Taking small, insignificant thoughts and running with them- turning them into something so relatable and interesting is what motivates me to write. Creating something out of (almost) nothing gives me a rush!

We don’t have to look that hard if we understand that everything and everyone around us has a story waiting to be told.

Go look for yourself!