[stylist] Finding inspiration

[Eve Sanchez]

Hi all, I have been out of town and away from the computer for the past few
days. Just got back today and needeo work on an assignment I received in
another writer's group. It was a three-way theme that I combined into one
paper. After completing it I looked through our list posts and saw a lot of
responses to the querie about getting inspiration. I thought this silly
paper I wrote fit well, so I am going to share it here with y'all. I have
it attached above and am pasting below. Bridget, there are proper
paragraphs and all, so I apologize if the virtual editor changes things.
Can't do nuttin bout it. haha   Sorry, if it offends anyone. It shouldn't.
It was written in good fun. Eve|

                A while back I was posed with the question “What inspires
you to write?” I pondered this question for some time and during this day I
had observed several movies being watched on television along with one old
sit-com. I noticed that all of the leading men had the same ethnic and
religious background in common and it came to me that “Jewish Boys are
Kinda Cute.” I thought I had received divine inspiration for a title, but
no story, essay, nor poem ever followed.

                I tore this inspiration apart trying to find a story. I
noted that though these men were all “kinda cute” and cuddly, they did not
inspire passion. You know? The kind of passion that comes with the twang of
Cupid’s bow. I realized that though I tried, this effort would either give
me the shaft or light my senses on fire, but nary the two would meet.  It
was the effort of trying to create inspiration that was the problem. Well,
that and trying to create something that was just not there. Same thing
actually.

                How could I create a passion where there was not one?
Generally speaking is a horrible way to speak. It creates prejudices and
biases that should be avoided, so I tried to break down my generalization
about Jewish boys. Adam Sandler, for example is flirtatious, but
considering my only experience with this was when he flirted with my then
two year old granddaughter, it does not inspire passion. Personalities
could be passionate, but then I thought of my dear friend, Naftoli Piccard,
and decided against that argument.

                A man walking away has often elicited passion from the
women watching the view, but as I considered this I thought of a man I know
from Jerusalem who walks like a duck. Is he kind of cute? Yes. Would the
sight of him bring on a passionate response? No. In the 1950’s a whole
generation was brought to a passionate frenzy by one young man’s dancing.
As I thought of this though, the image of Topol stomping and shaking to
“Deedle diddle deedle diddle dum” came to mind. Try as I did I could not
create an inspiration for a passionate piece titled “Jewish Boys are Kinda
Cute.” Actually I could not come up with any piece, passionate or not, and
this helped me recognize the problem and the solution.

                Be here now. This is common advice from many spiritual
leaders. They want you to live in the moment, but not all of life is in the
moment. We often live in our memories, fantasies, imaginations and hopes.
There is nothing what-so-ever wrong with this. In fact I encourage this.
Inspiration for writing is the same thing. One can not create inspiration.
One must be inspired. It comes to you in many ways and you must be open and
ready for its appearance. Perhaps if I cannot be passionately inspired by
those cute Jewish boys, I should instead consider those hot Italian men. I
will try as soon as I get the nasal sound of Ray Romano’s voice out of my
head.
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