The Course of Empire!

When I was first exposed to this series of paintings I was truly amazed!  The series, Course of Empire was painted by Thomas Cole.  Through a series of paintings, Cole presents the phases of empire as it would look in the classic age.  Each painting  has an amazing amount of detail and an intricate level of expression. 

I had an art history class in college where we had to examine each painting in the series and give a physical description as well as a description of the emotional impact each had on the viewer.  I was and still am blown away by these masterpieces.  The only criticism I ever really had was this: I always felt there should have been a stage between the Pastoral and Consummation.  It feels somewhat jarring to go from almost total greenery to marble and concrete.  But perhaps that's the point. 

What do you think?

                                                               The Savage State

                                                             The Pastoral State

                                                  The Consummation of Empire

                                                                          Destruction

                                                                          Desolation

The Inspiration Engine has a new URL!

Read the Inspiration Engine!

Read it Here.  http://theinspirationengine.blogspot.com/
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The problem with communication is the illusion that is has occurred.

-George Bernard Shaw.

 

It’s interesting how when you open up to people, they reciprocate.  It’s amazing how shut in and closed off a person can be if they stop communicating with others.  Have you ever noticed that most people don’t like to start conversations?  A lot of people feel intimidated and out of sorts if they walk into a room filled with people they don’t know.  And public speaking, most people fear that more than death, or so the rumor goes.  Why is this?  I think it’s because they are shut off from others, sometimes for long stretches where they never challenge themselves to try harder, do more, experience something new. 

When you open up to someone, even if it’s only one person, you get a chance to learn about who they are, what they are interested in, and what motivates and inspires them.  Just recently I was talking with a guy I know at work.  We’ve known each other for a while, but up until now, before I mentioned I was learning to play the saxohone, I had no idea he was musically inclined.  Turns out he knows how to play several instruments.  None of them are the sax, but still, I learned something, simply because I was willing to offer a little bit of information about myself, and listen to him. 

Having friends is a rewarding and enriching experience.  The more friends you have, the more rewarding experiences you can have.  If you find it difficult to make friends, or speak to those you don’t know, expand your experiences by taking up a hobbie.  I took up surfing and the saxophone, and you know what, I’ve met people who are interested in the same thing.  What is more, I’ve learned that friends I already have are interested in the same things.  Look at it like this; I’m building social bridges with multiple people.  The more bridges I build, the more I can cross and get to know more people.  The effort you put into expanding your interest pool and simply talking to people will enrich your life in ways you can’t imagine.  So, get talking!

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.

Wednesday's famous quote comes to us from Mark Twain.

Get out there and explore the world.  It's worth a long look.  Trust me.

Plitvicka Jezera, Croatia

waterfalls at Plitvicka Jezera National Park Photo © copyright by Jack Brauer

Your future depends on many things, but mostly on you.

-Frank Tyger.

What is self-reliance and why is it important?  There are a lot of things in this world that you may be responsible for: bills, education, work, family members, but most of all, you are responsible for yourself.  Most people would agree with that, but in practice, many disregard their own personal care and supplant it with other chores and duties claiming that to be responsible.  But think about it, you can’t possibly take care of anyone if you can’t take care of yourself.  That is what self-reliance is all about; taking care of yourself.  Now I’m not talking about being selfish and blind to other people.  Learning to handle things on your own, depending on your own abilities, skills, and discipline are vital. 

There’s a powerful lesson in learning how to do things for yourself.  Once you have grasped the concept of self-reliance, you’ll thirst for challenges to overcome and conquer.  But how do you get there? Having self-reliance starts with believing in yourself and your potential.  Now you don’t have to be successful in every endeavor to be self-reliant, you just have to believe you can try.  Be warned though, making the attempt opens up the possibility of failure.  As strange as it may sound, that’s a good thing.  It may sound cliché but most people learn more from failure than they do from success.  I like to say, Success is born from a thousand failures.  Sounds catchy, doesn’t it?  Anyway, it may seem scary to strike out on your own and try something new, but it’s worth it. 

I used to shy away from challenge.  Honestly, I would basically hide in my room avoiding things that would cause conflict or contention.  It was safe, but boring.  It provided no stimulation or growth.  See, it’s easy to recede into the background of your own life.  Nobody is going to force you to do much, except maybe follow the law, but above and beyond that, no.  You have to be the driving force in your life.  And that’s the greatest gift in the world.  Develop your own sense of self-reliance and you can trust yourself to steer your life on toward your goals and mission.  First you have to believe in yourself, once you do, you can rely on yourself as well.  That’s a powerful force in creating a positive personal future.  Give it a try!

Making music is cool

I'll admit, I'm partial to the saxophone.  Even though I can't play worth a damn, I still have one, and am trying to learn.  I would never subject anyone to my playing, except my neighbors and my teacher, but I found a few examples of good old sax playin'.  Enjoy!

First up, President Clinton, seriously, he's pretty good.

And then there's this.

One more.

A Spontaneous Blast of Inspiration

Maybe you've read or heard about the Tsunami Ghost Ship that was floating around the pacific for the last year.  According to the article it is now at the bottom of the Gulf of Alaska.  I've talked about abandoned places recently, but just a couple of days ago I was suddenly inspired by the ghost ship events.  I came up with a story idea.  It just hit me like a ton of bricks, like so many other story ideas. 

The amazement I felt as I saw the story unfold in my mind, developing, becoming layered, intricate, interesting and meaningful, made me feel great.  That kind of inspiration doesn't always happen.  When it does, for me at least, I'm filled with an awed sense of wonder.  Really.  The idea of constructing a world in my head, with characters, events, histories, feelings, emotions, life if you will, is truly awesome.  It's quite fascinating where inspiration comes from and how unexpectedly it arrives. 

You see, I've opened myself up to the idea that inspiration can and does come from the most amazing, or most mundane of things.  Inspiration is all around us.  We just have to learn how to recognize it.  Sometimes, the full force of creative inspiration comes in the blink of an eye, other times, inspiration seems to be as rare as water in a parched desert.  But if we learn to recognize where and how inspiration comes from, that oasis in the desert can become an ocean of ideas.  I've found my next project, now all I have to do is write it.  What about you?

Reckless Beams of Light, by G.R. Exper

Why is it so hard to get motivated?

How many times have you asked yourself “How can I motivate myself?”  It’s a fair question; motivation is important and necessary to accomplishing your goals and mission in life.  Without motivation, you just sit there on the couch.  Without motivation, you wander, meander, and drift.  Without motivation, there is nothing.  So how do we get this mythical motivation?  What causes the stirring emotions within us that fuel the drive and impulse of creativity, igniting the fires of motivation?  Well, the answer is simple.  It’s desire.  Want.  If you really have a true desire and want to attain something, someone, a job, a title, a goal, the championship, whatever, you NEED the desire to go after it. 

Have you ever doubted your motivation while doing something?  Ever thought maybe you were wasting your time?  It might be that the desire to pursue that goal was waning. Maybe you didn’t really want what you thought you wanted.  I’ve literally stopped what I was doing right in the middle because I knew my desire for it was just gone.  I used to work as a diner cook a long time ago when I was in college.  It was a fun job but hardly worth the headache.  I gained the respect of pretty much everyone there, except One of the owners.  He decided on night to chew me and a coworker out because he was in a bad mood.  Well, we both quit right there. We told the guy we were done as soon as our shift was over.  And we stuck to our convictions.  See, the desire to be there was small, and the paycheck was the only real thing keeping us there.  Once we were disrespected for no reason we realized there was no sufficient desire to stay.  So, our motivation to leave grew exponentially. 

Okay, so if you have the desire to accomplish your mission, your motivation will surge.  If your desire wanes, your motivation will plummet.  The real test is identifying your desire.  So it comes down to one simple thing:  What do you desire?

Be not the first by which a new thing is tried, or the last to lay the old aside

- Alexander Pope.

Changing times call for new experiences.  I think Alexander's quote speaks to that fact.  At its very core, I thin the meaning of this quote is telling us to at least try, make the attempt at doing.  You don't have to be the first to try something, just don't be the last.  If you have a mission in life, a purpose, or a passion,  making the attempt at bringing it to life is important.  Do not wait and let the world pass you by.  The time is now!

What’s really important?

Douglas Clark

-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine

That may seem like a simple, even trite question to ask.  If you give it more than a passing thought, the deeper meaning of it starts to shine through.  What is really important?  I mean the life-long stuff, the things that make you want to get out of bed in the morning, the stuff that gets your heart pumping, your body moving; those things. 

I’m not talking about getting up and getting to work, paying the bills, or making sure you get the laundry done.  The day-to-day minutia of life is important on a small scale, but there should and Must be a deeper meaning in your life (your Mission) to make it all worth it.  Now it might come as no shock that a lot of people don’t have a mission, or what some might call Passion.  They drift through life without any foundational drive or motivation.  Is that you?  I must admit, there have been times where I felt completely directionless, lost even.  There have been times where I could see the path before me clear as day, and hated the direction it was leading me in.  See, it’s not so much enough to have a passion and direction, but you must be willing and wanting to go down that road as well.

How do you decide?  Well, it has to be important to you; the whole thing, not just the end goal.  To have meaning and value, the process of getting from your dream to your reality must be endurable and enjoyable, at least on some level.  I’ve spent many a moment pondering what was important and what wasn’t.  At the very foundation, I know it’s important to at least attempt to live up to my potential.  Sometimes that can be hard, especially if at some point you realize you were reaching.  Mistakes are worth it most of the time. But Only if you learn from them. When you do, you’ll start to realize what is really important!

Songs of Yesteryear!

Okay, so I grew up in the 1980s (yeah that may date me a little), but I'm not ready for the rocking chair just yet.  By the way, the 1980s had some of the coolest, weirdest, and most amazing music ever.  If you don't believe me, do some research, listen to some of the music and get back to me. 

I thought it would be fun to put together a short play list of 80s music that I always liked, even if it was hard to admit to it.  Anyway, here's a few of them.  Enjoy!

(All rights reserved by original artists)

Take on Me, by A-Ha.

I always had a little crush on the girl in this video, plus I always thought it was wicked cool to travel to cartoon world.

View to a Kill, by Duran Duran

James Bond kicks ass.  This was the first Bond movie I ever saw in the theater.  My dad took me and it was just awesome.  This title song totally blew me away, especially the very begining. 

Panama, by Van Halen

This one was easy to admit liking.  You couldn't turn on the radio for more than 6 minutes without hearing this one from Van Halen.  In 1984, they totally Ruled Rock.