Writers Zone Blog

A lot of famous people say they were “born with talent”, and have never been taught their craft. But if you delve a little more deeply into their lives, you will find that most of them were deeply influenced by people near them, who dictated the path they would follow in future.

While some such prodigious talents grew in families where they were exposed a great deal to the best of art and music, others had families who knew very little, but supported them in their search for excellence. Eventually, very little of what we have is inbuilt – it is all painstakingly or almost unknowingly built up through a lifetime.

An excellent thing to do when at a loss for creative inspiration is to look to those you respect and admire. Find out all you can about them, their lives, their habits, their inspirations, and what they would do when they felt at a loss. You may find that among those you admire, each has a unique set of habits, inspirations and quirks – sit down and think about each of them before you choose what to implement in your own life.

Instead of just playing your favorite compositions (or having them hung up in your room) while you go about your day’s work, make an effort to listen to them very, very closely. Try to identify the little touches that take their compositions from ordinary to exceptional, so that you know what to do to take your own work to that level.