Inspiration, my friend



by JS-F (@Eastbourne)

Inspiration is a wonderful and amazing but unpredictable. It comes and goes, we may get it or not. Sometimes searching does not help while other times it is a case of getting the right guidance or being in a right place at a right time. Here are some people, places and “things” which gives me power and I can (almost) every time rely on them. God and His church, my husband, reading, observing and many others... There is something in life that inspires me.

Inspiration is a wonderful and amazing but unpredictable. It comes and goes, we may get it or not. Sometimes searching does not help while other times it is a case of getting the right guidance or being in a right place at a right time. Here are some people, places and “things” which gives me power and I can (almost) every time rely on them.

First and foremost, God and His church. God created me and put in me certain skills. Among them is definitely writing. He is the one who gives me inspiration to life and a life to write. He knows what is best to write and what words to use and which not to. He knows where to go that I find something inspiring.
The church is the reflection of His work. It is a place where I can see other people, know what is important for them, hear the word of God which brings great ideas and fall into worship and concentrate on His goodness to search deeper. It is also a church, particularly three which I call “mine” – ICF in Warsaw (Poland), HTB in London and Ethiopian Christian Fellowship also in London (UK). They are vibrant fellowship, full of wonderful people and ideas.

Right after God, comes my husband who is often saying: “Honey, you could write about it” or “this is something for your blog”. He knows me and knows what I want to write about. I wrote few pieces with his inspiration – Upper Tachbrook Street or Ethiopian New Year to name a few.

Thanks to them I have strength and passion to walk around, see and observe. And it is often “street” which inspires me. An innocent walk around the city can turn to walk of inspiration with shops I’ve never seen before, galleries I’ve never been before and people who always surprise me, on the way. I especially like walking, looking around and thinking. Routes like Noting Hill Gate to Shepherd’s Bush are really good for that. In the same way parks work for me. In London it is Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, even though they are so touristic spots and in Warsaw it is Ujazdowski Park.

Often I would sit in the park or on the bench on the street and read - newspapers, magazines and books. There are websites or printed magazines which I can visit any time any date and be sure will find something what moves my grey cells. Such sure ones are Foreign Policy, African Arguments, New African, Prospect Magazine or Vogue.com when it comes to fashion.

Any of these titles can be easily read in a cosy coffee house – it can be any but not always. There must be something in a smell of coffee and the surrounding which makes me relaxed and support my thoughts. What I need is really good coffee, comfortable seat (armchair preferably) and people to look at. Such opportunity I get in Monmouth Coffee at Borough Market in London or in Green Coffee in Warsaw but also in many many others…

The last but (definitely) not least are all the bits and bobs – an email from a friend, a weekend (or longer) away, chat with a person who knows what you are talking about, a phone call, a busy day. There is something in life that inspires me.