The Idea (Inspiration) Garden

When is an idea born?
What are the incubation conditions that germinate that idea?
What is the spark that drives that innovation?

I live in a garden.
Everywhere I look something says, “Do this not that”.
Something says, “There’s a better way”.

My garden is filled with elements.
Pieces and parts I can rearrange.
Thoughts and things I can play with.
Experimentation is essential.
Failure is always a part of the process.

I walk around my space.
I see …
A miniature bronze casting of Rodin’s thinker
A dartboard with very few holes in the bullseye
A pin cushion with dangerous needles instead of pins
A mash hammer to make sure the damn screw fits
Existential paintings I do not understand
Books, books, and more books about things I do understand or hope to know
Tools, tools, and more tools I do understand
And raw materials to experiment with and blow up if it doesn’t work.

I also see …
Multiple ideas in some stage of completion in every room
My chaos searching for completion.

It’s not about an “Aha” moment.
Those happen but it’s more about the growth of an idea.
Some tiny kernel of “thought” that begins an exploration of possibilities.

I can relate that to falling in love. Is that instantaneous?
Sometimes. It happened to me. I think I’m quite fortunate about that experience.

Or does that relationship grow and mature into something deep over time.
Something that needs inspiration, effort and tending.
Guidance and nurturing to achieve a positive and sustaining result.

And a Muse to gift inspiration and oversee its growth.
That kernel of thought always needs an ideal to pursue.
Does a Muse gift that ideal?
An ideal lends itself to an idea to pursue when inspired by a muse.

Sometimes there is an aura around my Muse.
It leaves me stunned and speechless.

In my silence, that garden grows, in the fertile soil of my mind.
She walks through my garden and plants a seed. I can’t wait to see what grows.