Inspiration is a discipline

Surround yourself with great inputs to produce excellent results

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is that inspiration is a discipline. Consistently seek out
thought provoking, inspiring inputs if you want to produce the

(00:27):
best outputs. Today's tip comes from rapper Lecree by way
of Jeremy Utley, Stanford Adjunct Professor of AI and Design.
Utley recounts teaching a class of graduate students with lacray
and La Craye, telling the students that inspiration is a discipline.

(00:50):
Utley expanded on this and said, the most wildly creative
individuals I know are disciplined about cultivating the inputs to
their thinking because they know it affects the outputs of
their thinking. I think he's right. I tend to think
inspiration is a discipline in two ways. We can't just

(01:11):
wait to be inspired. Creative people regularly sit down and
tell themselves they will work for several hours, and they
often get inspired during this time. But I think it's
also true in the way Utley is discussing, which is
that if you are going to come up with good ideas,
you need good kindling to light those fires. You need

(01:34):
to make sure you are seeking out inspiring inputs to
make good outputs. So how do you get those inspiring inputs?
For starters, we can all read widely literature, history, science, politics.
We can see amazing performances. We can visit art museums

(01:54):
and other museums. The best work that has been created
now and in the past can inspire new work. Another
way to get inputs is to seek out opinions and tips.
This can be from podcasts, blogs, newsletters, magazines, practical nonfiction books,
or political commentators on TV. See what people have to
say that's relevant to your context. Indirect or indirect ways.

(02:20):
We can also get out into nature. For centuries, nature
has been seen as a source of inspiration, So become
a keen observer. Study any natural features that interest you.
Read writers like Mary Oliver, Annie Dillard, Wordsworth, or Thireaux
who reflected a lot on the natural world. If being

(02:43):
still in nature doesn't move you, then go for what
I like to call an ideal walk. When there is
a tricky problem you need inspiration to solve. Get moving.
No music, no podcasts, no audio books, just you and nature.
As you walk, let your mind wander something you see,

(03:04):
or a random thought that crosses your mind may spark
just the insight you need. Paying attention to how things
work is another great source of inspiration. This could mean
watching glass blowers or iron workers, touring a distillery or
a cheese factory, or even just observing the check in
process at your dentist's office. Are there processes that have

(03:25):
analogies to your work? People can definitely be a source
of in perspiration, So spend time with interesting people and
ask curious questions. Invite people to elaborate on topics that
light them up, even if you haven't thought much about them.
You'll get a window into content that is interesting and
it might spark your own thinking too. There are so

(03:48):
many places to find inspiring inputs. As part of your
weekly planning, it could be wise to reflect on your
inputs from the week before and the insights and outputs
they inspired. Then look ahead to the next week. What
is likely to inspire you over the next seven days?
What can you add if there isn't something already there now?

(04:11):
Obviously there is a balance to be achieved here. We
can't just consume inputs or we will never produce outputs.
We all know people who put off doing their own
creative work by consuming everything under the sun. But it
might be wise to organize your days to have a
little bit of both. I know successful creative people who
produce in the morning and then when their brains are tired,

(04:35):
they consume in the afternoon. It's a good way to
practice the discipline of inspiration in the meantime. This is Laura.
Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfas. If you've

(05:01):
got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at
Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a
production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to

(05:23):
your favorite shows.