What is Inspiration?

Abundance 9, gouache on paper, 24” x 18”, 2021.

I’m writing on a hot summer morning, looking out my window at a bright blue sky and a sea of green leaves and trees, gently swaying in the breeze. There are birds calling, and the bluejays are swooping down to land in their favorite tree outside my window. Aah, summer! It’s a simple, familiar scene, but it inspires me! And, it reminds me that it doesn’t take a trip to Glacier National Park to feel inspired by nature (although I was undeniably awe-struck).

I’ve been thinking more about what inspiration actually is in the brain, and why it’s such a positive and important experience. This led me to look at a few studies and articles on the neurobiology and psychology of inspiration. One article from The Berkley Well-Being Institute defines inspiration as feeling motivated by something outside yourself that evokes an idea and/or the impulse to produce something creatively. It’s a motivational state that compels you to bring ideas into fruition, and is often, but not always, followed by an action.

The word inspiration means literally to breathe in; as in, breathing in new ideas, purpose, or vision, which often leads to creative impulse. According to scientists, a part of our brain called the default mode network is involved. The DMN is an intricate combination of regions in our brain that are geared toward connecting the dots we may not see on the surface. According to Michael Pollan, “the default mode network is most active when our minds are least engaged in a task—hence “default mode.” It is where our minds go when they wander or ruminate.”

Scientists call that second right before a moment of inspiration a “brain blink.” A study showed that right before this moment, (demonstrated through fMRI imaging) a burst of alpha waves shuts down our visual cortex in order to quiet all potential distractions, permitting the DMN to thrive. This is closely related to insight, which I wrote about previously. It’s fascinating to me that the eye movements, such as a prolonged blink and episodes of looking away from a problem, are correlated with insight and inspiration (vs. analytical thinking)!

The feeling of inspiration is not usually something you plan to happen, and that’s part of why it’s so magical. For example, during my first aerobatic flight, I saw the world in a very different way, for the first time. I had no idea this visual phenomena would be so mesmerizing! The horizon became a spinning point around the nose, or the wing of the plane, and when I looked up, the sky had been replaced by the ocean. This took place in the open cockpit of a biplane, and that vision inspired me to create a whole body of work that elicited this spinning sensation in my viewer. Inspiration is not the source of creative ideas, instead, inspiration is a motivational response to something (external or internal), resulting in the creation of ideas.

Night Akro, oil on canvas, 62” x 82”, 2010.

Night Akro is an example of taking the inspiration of the spinning horizon and creating a painting in response. The blue area is a representation of the sky and the dark area is the earth. You can see the lights of the ILS, which is a visual guidance system for planes approaching a runway in instrument flight, but it is upside down, because you- the viewer-the pilot- are upside down. Night Akro was also inspired by a dream I had, of flying aerobatics at night, which almost nobody dares to do, because it’s very risky. Every aerobatic figure is executed in reference to the horizon, so you can imagine how dangerous night aerobatics would be (or akro, slang for aerobatics), if the pilot couldn’t see the horizon. The other lights dotting the earth area are the random street lights one sees, while flying at night, dotting the darkness below.

Spin is another painting inspired by aerobatics but interpreted in a very different way. It is literal, i.e. uses the text “Spin”, which is the figure it’s depicting. It represents the view of the audience (watching a plane spin down) but also the checkerboard pattern is meant to be dizzying, which is what the pilot feels.

Spin, oil on panel, 48” x 35.5”, 2013.

Inspiration can also take the form of behavior: for example, you might hear someone speak who really impresses you. Scientists say that inspiring stories and images produce oxytocin in our brain. Oxytocin is the neurotransmitter that facilitates feelings of trust. Inspiration also causes a dopamine release in our brains, which is associated with motivation and reward.

You might also meet someone who inspires you by their behavior (or knowledge, passion, etc). You then feel inspired to behave in a similar way in your own life. For example, I’ve always felt that seeing the work of a really good painter makes me want to go home and paint. And reading a good writer also makes me want to write! It can be less direct, too… for example, seeing someone living life by going sky diving may not move you to go skydive yourself, but it might motivate you to go home and do something adventurous, that you’ve always wanted to do.

Inspiration may not be predictable, but if you’re hungering for the feeling, there are a few things that inhibit inspiration. One is chronic stress— it isn’t good for any part of you, or your life. Another is mental fatigue… so if you’re feeling mentally exhausted, take a break, and get out of your routine. Allow your mind to wander!

Something that may invite inspiration is a change of scenery. It doesn’t have to be a trip to an exotic or faraway place. Sometimes exploring a different side of town, or an unfamiliar part of your state, can spark your interest and inspiration, and help you to see things anew.

Thanks as always for your support, and please share this with anyone you think may enjoy it! If you missed my earlier post on inspiration, click here. I hope that you are finding moments during your week to let your mind wander, observe, and take in the beauty of the world around you.