The Creative Myth That Keeps Us Waiting

There’s a little myth floating around that sounds completely reasonable.

And I’ve fallen for it more times than I’d like to admit.

“When inspiration hits, I’ll get started.”

Sounds harmless enough, right?

We wait for the idea.

The energy.

The clarity.

The motivation.

That magical moment when everything clicks and we suddenly feel ready to go.

There’s just one problem.

That’s usually not how inspiration works.

Inspiration Often Shows Up Late

I’ve had a pretty good laboratory for testing this theory.

For more than three years now, I’ve shown up every week to write one of these messages to you.

And I can assure you, I do not wake up every week bursting with wisdom and shouting, “Grab the keyboard! I HAVE BEEN INSPIRED!”

Some weeks, I’ve got an idea before I sit down.

Other weeks?

Crickets.

I stare at the screen.

Write something.

Delete it.

Get coffee.

Walk around a lot.

Come back.

Write something else.

And then, somewhere in the process, something happens.

A thought connects to another thought.

A story appears.

A sentence finally says what I was trying to say.

And suddenly there it is.

The inspiration I was waiting for showed up after I started working.

That lesson reaches way beyond writing.

How often do we tell ourselves:

“I’ll start exercising when I feel motivated.”

“I’ll make the call when I feel confident.”

“I’ll begin the project when I have a better plan.”

“I’ll have that conversation when I feel ready.”

But sometimes the feeling we’re waiting for is actually sitting on the other side of the action.

Confidence grows because you try.

Clarity comes because you begin.

Momentum develops because you move.

And inspiration?

Very often, inspiration is the reward for showing up anyway.

Think of it like an old faucet that hasn’t been used in a while.

The first little bit might sputter.

Nothing impressive.

Maybe even a little ugly.

But keep it running.

Eventually, the water flows.

Our ideas can work the same way.

We don’t always need a lightning bolt from heaven.

Sometimes we simply need to faithfully use what God has already put in our hands.

Start with the sentence.

Take the walk.

Make the call.

Open the notebook.

Try the recipe.

Build the thing.

Serve the person.

Take one step.

Then see what meets you there.

Because God can do an awful lot with a willing person who simply keeps showing up.

So here’s my question for you this week:

What have you been waiting to feel inspired, motivated, or “ready” to begin?

Maybe today isn’t the day you finally feel ready.

Maybe it’s simply the day you decide to start anyway.

And that might be even better.

Keep showing up. Keep moving. Keep trusting.

Your friend,
Brock

P.S. Inspiration can be a funny little rascal. Sit around waiting for it and it may never knock. Start working, though, and suddenly it wants to know what you’re doing. 😉