EDIT: The competition is now closed for entries. Mike will choose the winners and we’ll announce them here on the blog shortly.
OK the holiday season is upon us, so it’s time for some fun. 🙂
Designer and Lateral Action writer Mike Kammerling has kindly created a limited edition of five inspirational prints for Lateral Action readers, which we’re giving away on the blog – so read on for details of how to win one.
The prints feature Mike’s treatment of the opening words of Homer’s Odyssey, as the poet appeals to the Muse for inspiration:
Sing in me, Muse
Whether or not you take the idea of the Muse literally, I think we can all relate to the experience of a certain indefinable something – call it inspiration, the unconscious mind, the creative zone, or whatever – that takes over at certain times and touches our creative work with a little unexpected magic.
As a poet myself, I love Mike’s choice of subject and his treatment of the text. And we’ve debated the idea of the Muse on more than one occasion here on Lateral Action, so I was delighted when he approached me with the idea of giving the prints away on the blog.
For the competition, Mike has created an extremely limited edition of five copies of the print, featuring the name ‘Lateral Action’ as well as ‘Tinder and Sparks’ (Mike’s own brand), and printed on luxurious reflective gold card.
For more detailed shots of the print, visit this page of Mike’s site.
For a chance of winning one of these prints, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling us what inspires your creativity.
We’ll leave the comments open for one week, and after that Mike will chose the five winners. (And he’s kindly volunteered to ship these to wherever you live in the world.)
I was reading the posts about Muses on Lateral Action and, drunk on the words, the first line of Homer’s Odyssey came to me. I remember thinking it would make a rather good print, and sat on the idea for a while until it worked its way into a style of its own.
So I thought I would give something back by giving some prints away, since I really owe its existence to this blog. And, of course, my own Muse.
If you’d like one of Mike’s prints to hang on your wall to remind you of that little spark of inspiration we’re all seeking, leave a comment below telling us what inspires you.
Comments will be open until the end of next Monday 12 December. After that Mike will choose the winners, who will be announced here on Lateral Action.
It could be a person, a place, a time of day, a mood, a piece of music or an artwork. It could be something sophisticated and artistic – or something as down-to-earth as the need to pay next month’s bills.
Don’t worry if it’s not something lofty and Romantic – Mike tells me he’s interested in hearing about what really inspires you, however magical OR mundane!
Thanks to Mike for such a generous gift, and good luck with your entries!
About the Artist: Mike Kammerling is a graphic designer, blogger and wide-eyed boy, whose mission at Tinder + Sparks Design is to make business beautiful. You can find more musings on design and creativity at his design blog and on Twitter.
View Comments (112)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1 2 3 … 10 Next »Blissfully simple....a can of Irn Bru in the afternoon.
There's nothing quite like some Scottish chemicals to get your brain buzzing!
I know it sounds a bit corny, but my children give me inspriation. They see the world how it should be, to live life and have fun without complications. They also treat everyone as equals.
Thanks for the giveaway.
Beauty and angst both inspire me, but they come out in different forms. I guess that's the great advantage to being creative. Without my creativity, how would I get out what is inside of me?
Easily my son (2 years old). Looking at him, listening to him...his naturally pure inquisitiveness of all things. His seeking for understanding and knowledge, a hunger never ends. He inspires me!
I love that quote! What deeply inspires me is when people really dare to let their inner beauty shine through and offer to the world all they have to give or share.
Deadlines!
And frustration with how things are.
Mostly what inspires is my inner irrepressible urge to ask myself 'Can this be done differently? Why only this way?' Invariably I end up with something novel that not only pleases me but also delights others who see, hear my creation. Most recent two examples : 1 - Two college students were moved to rescue a half-naked, homeless mentally ill lady, took her home, bathed and fed her. That was the beginning of The Banyan, which shelters wandering mentally ill women. In my introduction of one of its founders I said, "The woman whom you first rescued would have been grateful to the Mother Teresa in her teen and jeens!" 2 - Vote of thanks at the end of an event is something the audience gets impatient about and readies itself to vacate the seats. So last time I said, "Members of the audience came for the function leaving everything else and participated so encouragingly. As we believe 'athiti devo bhava (meaning, a guest is like god)' why not we start every event by thanking them and gently whispered into the mic, "so that they dont have to reach for the car keys or the cellphone when it is turn for a vote of thanks!"- Gurudatt, Pune, India
Rumi
Mark, what gives me inspiration is that I have an enormous number of opportunities on my plate.
I can open as many e-commerce sites In English that I want in Italy and barely worry about competition (at the time of writing I have four with a dozen more on the way).
Why? Because the Italians are not keen on fully learning ANY foreign language, in particular, English, and they're just starting to discover shopping on the web (after all, Amazon.it just opened a few months ago and it's off to a slow start) Also, many Italian companies don't believe in e-commerce. So, I take their products and retail sell them.
I've been living here since 2000. Sure the learning curve in starting an e-commerce was incredibly difficult. But I've so called graduated. Yes, I'll always be 1-2 steps behind to what e-commerce is like in the USA...but I'll always be 10 steps ahead in Italy.
BTW, thanks for writing "Freedom, Money and Time", mate!
Cheers and have a happy and healthy Holiday Season!
Witnessing and participating in acts of generosity, community, and kindness toward strangers.