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)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
« Previous 1 2 3 4 … 10 Next »Music. Not one moment of inspiration is lost when I'm nestled in a great playlist! =)
Mark and Mike -
What a great idea.
To inspire good writing, I like going to the American Wing Cafe http://bit.ly/tz5mww at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where beautiful sculpture, woodwork, and windows abound. They feel like muses to me as I work, as does knowing that the rest of the museum's collection and exhibits are there as well.
The word "muse" reminds me of a word that's new to me: "meme." I stumbled across it in Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi's book The Evolved Self. There, he defines the word as "any pattern of matter or information produced by an act of human intentionality." Thus, he explains, "a brick is a meme, and so is Mozart's Requiem."
Memes, like muses, transform the consciousness of those who come into contact with them. So, once we create something and put it out there, it becomes a part of others and the things they create.
My interpretation of this idea is that as we create, we ourselves become muses. Which in itself is very inspiring.
Susan
What a wonderful holiday gift from both of you! And Mike, I love the colors and swirls, the way they pull you into a labyrinth, as we search for our muse in the words.
What inspires my writing?
When I was a kid, it was my own need to learn how to become a hero, someone strong enough to change the world for the better.
After my pediatric internship when one of my fellow interns was brutally murdered, writing became my way to understand my grief and control the chaos around me. That's when I wrote my first thriller, BORROWED TIME, and I dedicated it to Jeff's memory.
Much of my fiction since then has been inspired by my patients and their families. Ordinary people facing tragedy with courage and grace, proving that heroes are indeed born everyday.
I still search for order in the chaos--after practicing pediatric emergency medicine and pediatrics for seventeen years, that will never change. But now, after having sold hundreds of thousands of books and receiving fan letters from all over the world, I have another inspiration: my readers.
I treasure each fan letter as much as the very first one. There have been people facing the pain of chronic illnesses who have been able to make it through the night because of my books. Fellow medical personnel, EMS, firefighters, and police officers have written, thanking me for the way I "tell it like it really is." And readers who simply needed an escape from their lives have found refuge in my words.
Honestly, no matter how much money or which bestseller lists I hit, I can't imagine any feeling as wonderful as the feeling I get when I hear from readers who have fallen in love with my books. It's an adrenalin rush that fuels my writing and inspires me everyday!
Happy Holidays to everyone here at Lateral Action!
CJ
CJ, you definitely are one of the winners of this contest! Wonderful social service and enjoying it too. Thats great. Keep growing and be happy!
Thanks everyone for the great replies (and festive wishes) I'm enjoying these... keep them coming!
My inspiration comes mostly from the area in which I live: Along the Salish Sea in Cascadia. It is an area rich in art history and wilderness beauty.
I also find that my art buddies inspire me on a regular basis. I enjoy seeing their work and talking the art thing up.
Of course, a good exhibition at one of the museums or galleries is always an inspiration, as well.
I am inspired by seeing the amazing things other people create. Every time I see someone else's creative work, I get the itch to start up on my own work to see where I can take it. And if I'm feeling writer's block (or its lesser known cousin, dancer's block), all I have to do is read someone's story, or watch another dancer!
I too do this most of the time. With guidance from Mark's LA I have been able to enhance my ability to identify creativity in most of what others do and so I dont any opportunity of interacting with such creatives. Thanks Erica for reminding of this source of inspiration.
A great movie or a wonderful song or piece of music - I think "I couldn't create either of those, but I can write, and I can strive to make something just as amazing." That initial response feeds my own desire to create the best I can.
Wow!
Inspiration for me comes from seeing the beauty in the simplistic aspects of everyday life, culture, and geography... a simple landscape, a park bench, a unique song, a couple "in love". I think anything that has great depth but on the surface appears to be simple inspires my creative juices to bubble over.
I couldnt agree more with you on this. If you see my photographs on deviantART (inspired by Mark, of course) you will understand how my concepts resonate with yours.
I'm inspired by all types of things, anything really that captivates my attention. Luckily, I don't struggle with ADD. I'm also inspired by opportunities to communicate something important to me when deception has been uncovered.
A beautiful print AND quote!
What inspires me is the freedom from expectations. It's a little more than curiosity with the space to explore without worry of failure or 'wrongness'. Plus colour is an inspiration.
I find I paint best when I begin with some freedom from closed expectations and allowed to explore a compelling path to just to see what happens. I still expect excellence and professionalism but when I try to see the end before the journey, or force a direction, it never ends well.