Someone once said the first 50 years are for learning and the next 50 years are for living. Well, I hope I have learned everything I need because I am on to the living part of my life and I feel inspired.
Retirement came quickly for me – and yet it didn’t. I, like everyone else, struggled and saved and talked about retirement for years. And then when it came, it was in a hurry. This spring I will have been retired for a year and I’m still getting used to it. I listened to the weather last night before bed and thought about the work-week. No, I told myself, you don’t have to go to work this week, no matter the weather. I still have trouble with that concept. I feel like a slacker sometimes. But by now I should have learned all I need to know to live.
And live I will. I am inspired, and I have plans for spring. I have book signings, festivals, workshops, and a myriad of events on the horizon. Spring is conference season for authors; and with conferences, come contests. I’ve been working on several things for contests. I took a 5000-word humorous piece and cut it to 2000 words! Whew! I hope the story is still there. I lost a lot of scenes, and a few characters. But there are limits to contest entries and you must adhere to them.
Conferences and contests are a labor of love. I’ve learned how to do it, now I will live with the results. I am grateful for the opportunity to rub shoulders with other writers and their craft. I network and meet people and it seems the brilliance of their craft rubs off on me. At least the inspiration rubs off. I capture their tiny spark and cultivate it.
Learning to capture inspiration wherever you find it is a great way to live – for the next 50 years or however long I have.
How do you capture inspiration?
