I can’t recall who posted it, or the specific phrasing, but I read a tweet recently that went something like this:

“Don’t work all day only to come home and not work on your true interests. You’re not tired- you’re uninspired.”

I’m definitely someone who has been guilty of coming home from work and vegging out on the couch instead of willing myself to write. I’m also someone who hides behind the phrase “I’m tired” when really “I’m uninspired” more accurately describes my mindset.

So, I ask myself: what inspires me?

Well, I’ve had friends tell me that specific pieces I’ve written are heart breaking. It means a lot to me that anything I’ve produced could evoke such a strong reaction in someone, and that’s something that I’ve always loved about writing. In order to bring about such a heart breaking reaction from someone, though, it requires me to relive whatever experience it is that I’m writing about.

If you’ve read my book, you know that I don’t write happy poems. My prose isn’t much peppier either. I tend to gravitate towards negative topics in both my writing and reading material. For me, seeing the kind of struggles my fellow humans go through is far more interesting than a continuously happy story. Plot arises from conflict. Growth arises from challenges.

When I’m writing, I am a dry plant that grows up the window to reach the sunlight behind the curtain. I am a cat making toys out of garbage. I am a car with powered windows and no AC.

That inspires me- what inspires you?