by patti dean

“…an extraordinary elevation of the imagination or other powers of the soul” – that is the closest I can come to describing ‘inspiration’.  It comes in fleeting moments or minutes of intense revelation.  If I stay in the moment I am able to capture its essence. If I can’t, it is lost to pen or pencil.  It may be revealed as joy on the face of a child or sorrow on the face of an adult. It comes in remembering the smell of the sea in Ireland – the waves crashing on the rocks and cliffs, fruitlessly trying to climb them. There are times inspiration comes from a kind gesture from a stranger expecting nothing in return or a lingering look from a loved one accepting me as I am.  Inspiration came recently from flames…flames painted on a motorcycle giving off the illusion that they were moving due of the phenomena of heat – moving long after the rider has disembarked…and never seeing those flames again as they became real and engulfed the rider.

Nature frequently reveals inspiration in a garden full of beautiful flowers with my dog nestled in the middle or the willows letting their branches sweep the water in a nearby creek.

…And the biggest inspiration of all comes from living life on life’s terms, knowing I am living it well and following my path that the Source of all my power has intended me to follow.