A recent discussion with a new creative (as in works in the ‘creative industries’) acquaintance rolled around to the topic of how we sourced our creative inspiration.
He launched into a heady discussion of the Seattle alternative art and music scene and how he simply couldn’t function without ‘deep immersion’ (whatever the hell that means) in the art world there at least twice a week.
After waxing almost eloquently for a seeming eternity (it was probably only something like ten minutes, though I had drained my beer and had run out of things to otherwise be bemused by) he asked what stoked my creative fires.
I simply replied “I fish”.
His brow furrowed, he spun around to face me and peered quizzically over the rim of his eyeglasses. Distractedly I noted that he was wearing the faintest hint of blue eyeshadow.
Without really thinking about it I offered that I like to be awed by the awesome, and it never fails, at least for one moment on every fishing trip I’ve ever taken, there’s at least one flash of awesomeness, and often much, much more. I added that the awesomeness is usually not a fish or even related to the fishing, it’s from just being somewhere in or on the water.
Without registering any hint of understanding he blinked a couple of times for effect (once again flashing that damned blue eyeshadow) and finally simply said “right on”.
[Two further points of interest. One, to be completely honest, I have nothing against men wearing makeup; guys in Montana do quite often, though back home it’s camouflage paint used in hunting four-legged critters or winged fowl. I suspect my new acquaintance’s makeup was also related to hunting of sorts, though most likely for two-legged critters.
And two, a few weeks ago we posted a diatribe about awesomeness in Fly Fishing and Disturbances in the Time-Space Continuum. The Stanford article I referenced inspired the video below about your need for some Vitamin A (awesomeness) every day.]
The Biological Advantage of Being Awestruck – by @JasonSilva from Jason Silva on Vimeo.
