Beauty Inspires Hope!

"Beauty inspires hope. It reminds us that we are human–and that we have a responsibility to add more beauty to the world before we leave."  ~ Bill Strickland

A trip through Ireland and Scotland made one thing perfectly clear: the haunting Celtic music I enjoy regularly sounds exactly like the landscape looks. It was obvious the inspiration for the music came from the beauty of the surroundings.

A typical drive, down winding roads lined with stone walls, led us through misty hillsides, along waterfalls, and face to face with rainbows. It was obvious that the music was 'of the people' and 'from the land'. It emphasized what I already knew instinctively: the very reason artistic types migrate to beautiful areas is that they need beauty to survive. Beauty nourishes the creative soul.

My hubby and I gained years of inspiration from our trip through Scotland - to the remote island of Iona. I still see the sights and feel the emotion of the land. It doesn't take much to take me back in my mind. From that trip we wrote songs, recorded a CD, and designed a muti-sensory event called "Come to the Quiet."

If you are a creative, how long has it been since you treated yourself to natures symphony . . . to beauty which nourishes the depths of your being? Are you blocked, depressed, sad, stuck or overwhelmed with projects that you started but never completed? Perhaps you need to feed your inner soul. Sometimes we actually have to MAKE ourselves get out of our normal routine, get outdoors and soak up the sounds of nature. Take in a sunset, listen to crickets, smell hay, lie down in the grass .... and just "be."

Our busy, hectic, stress-filled world robs us of the inner passion that fuels our souls and fuels our creativity. We are designed to enjoy that which is beautiful! When we are deprived of it, our soul aches; it's as if a piece of us is missing and we become aware of a deep inner longing.

Are you longing for something, but don't know what? Perhaps it's that deep, God-given longing for that which is beautiful, noble, true and good.  I encourage you to seek for it like a precious jewel . . . and when you find it use the fresh inspiration to fuel your creativity.

Create something of eternal value - something  that  will inspire hope in others and nourish your own soul for years to come.