Inspiration

"Inspiration is a guest that does not willingly visit the lazy".  Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky  This was the quotation of the week on Thursday, May 7th, the birthdate of the famous composer of The Nutcracker and other delightful ballets and symphonies.  He was an extremely diligent worker, sitting for hours and writing and re-writing and never being quite satisfied with his work.  He lived this quotation, as far as I can understand from reading the history.  My sixth grade advisory and my fifth grade general music classes discussed this quotation.  They said, "It means you have to work at being inspired, it doesn't just come to you."  I explained that the author of the quote turned "Inspiration" into a person, a "visitor", a "guest".  If someone is a "guest" it means they need to be "invited"..

But let's go back.  What does inspiration mean?  "A divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation." That is Merriam Webster.  Another definition, on the other hand, says "the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something; especially to do something creative.  Also a force or influence that makes someone want to do or create something. " If this influence is "divine" then the best way to invite this guest is perhaps to pray.  But if it is a force from anywhere, which Ryan said, "Inspiration can come from anywhere, even your best friend, even the view!" then it may not be enough to pray, it may mean you have to work at it.

You do have to force inspiration sometimes.  You have to think of your favorite hero, or superhero, or those who have influenced you over the years.  Your sports hero, your parents, your older sibling who has gone to college and told you to get there you have to do all your homework and get good grades.  You might have to conjure up a picture of an influential figure in history who has fought hard against all odds to be successful.  I saw a program about a young African American ballerina who is the first African American Soloist ballerina at the American Ballet Theater, and she got there through sheer grit, growing up in a motel room with her five siblings, no money, single parent home.  Misty Copeland began to dance at thirteen, old for a ballerina to start, but she managed to get to the top, with the influence and support of her dance teachers and coaches along the way.

                                                           This is INSPIRATION!! 

So I spoke to my piano classes about this idea of inspiration being an invited guest.  That to get better at the piano you cannot just sit there and wait for divine intervention.  You cannot just look at the music and stare into space.  You cannot play all the bells and whistles on the piano to make yourself sound good.  It takes time, time and practice, practice and more practice.  Sometimes practice creates inspiration, because as you go from page to page in the piano book, and all of a sudden your are playing songs with two hands, you look up and are inspired by your own hard work!!!  Your own hard work and grit, and diligence and the joy of making real music!  The joy of doing something that is creative, and then going further with that.  Knowing enough notes to then turn around and make up your own songs!  So invite that guest into your fingers, your brain, your heart, your soul, and don't let the idea of hard work keep the door locked the that guest, your inspiration!!!

                                                Where does your inspiration come from?