Inspiration vs. Perspiration

I'm feeling lonely in the blogosphere this morning. I've been checking and rechecking the blogs that I usually read only to find that they have not been updated recently. I certainly don't harbour any judgement about that as god knows I can go on long stints of writing anorexia. What I am noticing is how much I rely on those blogs as inspiration and as a loose connection to a community of friends and colleagues - some of whom I know personally and some who I share a laugh or ah - ha with during their regular musings.

The silent spaces have left me pondering how the balance of inspiration and perspiration is a delicate one. Traveling through life filled with inspiration might sound magical or even a bit "Polly-Anna" and yet any of us who have been inspiration's thrall can attest to its heady nature. The world takes on a special glow and all things seem possible.

But like fruit left on the vine for too long, inspiration begins to lose its luster and fullness if it isn't brought into the world somehow. If picked to early, the results can be underwhelming. If left too long, it withers and dies. Patient tending and nurturing are required before the final effort of harvest. All of which require some measure of perspiration.

On days like today, when inspiration seems to be distant, I am discovering that perspiration in the form of cultivation is required. Its not enough to shrug my shoulders and say, "maybe tomorrow I'll be inspired to write (or fill in the blank)". True to its nature, my perspiration is rewarded by the gradual return of inspiration. Connections form between thoughts, words begin to string themselves together in interesting ways and new insights are slowly cobbled together all because of this mindful cultivation.

Dreamers are filled with inspiration but their dream state implies sleep and lack of action. "Go-Getters" can become so lost in the 'doing' that they cease to simply 'be'.

Somewhere in the middle, there is the beautiful alchemy of the cultivated dream; the dance between inspiration and perspiration required for creation.