What Inspires You?

Art and inspiration can feel almost trivial in the face of the problems of the world today.  And yet, I fervently believe art IS essential - nearly as important as food and water.  I believe that the act of creation is in itself a mini revolution, one that says "my voice matters": the vision that is uniquely me has a valued place in this world.

I admit that I have a hard time feeling inspired when I remain so worried about current events.  Still, my mind still wanders as I walk my dog, and I'll find myself pausing at the arrangement of branches of a silhouetted winter tree, or the pattern of passing monochrome clouds.  And I'll forget the world's problems for a brief moment in time.

And so, I try to enact my own act of rebellion and focus on art and inspiration.  There's a great Lucinda Williams line I used to sing: "You took my joy, now I want it back". And so I say: you cannot take my joy, you cannot remove things that inspire me.

What inspires you ?