Most students would say the inspiration behind their projects lay in due dates assigned but it is rarely that simple. While the due date is a vital component, it only inspires the completion of the products and not the subjects. The library is full of inspiring ideas. This can aid in research but also in all aspects of life.
The impact of libraries start in our youth. I remember story time when I was little, and the joy of picking out books and meeting friends. Later in life I remember the books themselves being the joy. The stories began inspiring actions. I could never walk along the Yellow Brick Road in Oz, but I could try the Turkish Delight that Edmund Pevensie risked his family for in Narnia. Which by the way I do not understand because Turkish Delight was not THAT good. Inspiration is not simple, or direct but it does weave through our lives.
As my teenage years began, I started to write quotes down. I have several journals filled with lines from poems, plays, novels, movies, television shows, and songs. I have used these quotes to inspire me to act, to create, and yes to turn in assignments by the due date. These quotes help inspire but also help remind me to step outside of my box and take risks. Sometimes I write the quotations on a sticky note so I can remind myself to act. It is always easy to take the safe and careful road, but risks help define us.
My focus on quotations is not unique. Quotes are used on so many products. The mall is full of shirts, posters, bags, and other items that are inspired by the same things as me. I have a bookmark that quotes F. Scott Fitzgerald, it says “New York had all the iridescence of the beginning of the world.” I got this bookmark on a trip to New York city. I loved being somewhere so lively and diverse. The city was very different than my daily life. I had read so many books that were based in New York but being there showed me that reality inspires art as much as art inspires reality. Sometimes inspiration is not about life changing actions, sometimes it is about taking a moment to enjoy life.
To further this thought, movies have always been used for escapism. Fandoms are built around the inspiration of these characters. As a fan people buy the products, not in hopes to inspire actions but to inspire the joy of suspending disbelief. I am not above this kind of inspiration either, I buy enamel pins for my backpack that display many of these characters.
Inspiration helps achieve goals. My youth spent in libraries pushed me to seek out a career in the library. Education is important, but something must spark the interest to learn. My studies have ranged from literature and history to philosophy and artificial intelligence. The spark of inspiration begins over and over and manifests itself as a way to better myself.
I still write down quotes in little notebooks, I still seek out enjoyment, and yes, my inspiration can be found in due dates. The goals I have achieved start with a single spark of inspiration. My love of story time has grown into my love of libraries. Researching for history class inspired me to seek out a career in archives.
As I worked on a display about hurricanes for the archives, I came across a pamphlet that urged people to return to Corpus Christi after Hurricane Celia. While this pamphlet was not useful in my project, it did inspire me. I saw hope, and I saw a community that wanted to thrive. On the front of the pamphlet was a graphic of a seagull on a glass of champagne. I loved the idea that after the storm the hope of the city was to enjoy life once again. I took this graphic to a tattoo artist and had her design a tattoo that did not replicate the graphic but bring the idea of hope and resilience to life.
I have a career I love, and I am still inspired daily.
What inspires you? How do you use this inspiration?
