“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”
It was once said that waiting for inspiration was only possible for people who had the luxury of time. It was also said that the most inspirational thing in the world is a looming deadline. When your livelihood relies on your ability to produce, both of these statements are very much true.
American author Jack London certainly recognized that. You really can’t sit around, twiddle your thumbs, and hope that inspiration comes knocking. You have to find it. You have to hunt it. You have to capture it. And then, you have to tame it. Many great men have come to this same realization.
You likely know Jack London best for novels like White Fang
Inspiration is a challenging thing. It’s in the ether. A strategy that works wonderfully for one creative artist may be counterproductive for another, and even then, the effectiveness of one strategy may be short-lived. Sometimes all it takes is to revisit old content. Other times, you need a change of scenery. You may find inspiration in the great works of other authors and artists. Whatever the case, the pursuit of greatness is never complete.
There’s always more. You just have to be persistent, whether that means following established tracks or carving out a brand new path altogether.
That comment from Jack London is the basis for “Who Moved My Cheese” by Spencer Johnson. IF you are just sitting around thinking you can do it what what you already have then you are letting your cheese run out. You have to go get more new cheese in different area’s to grow.
Also, Ray Kroc said “When you’re green you’re growing. When you’re ripe you rot.” Same thing different context.