Finding Inspiration

the last few months have left me feeling a little bit exhausted, both mentally and physically. i have had little interest in doing the things i love, including bookmaking.

this has been a very hard thing to swallow for me. and the first real time i have struggled for more than a few days with this dilemma. questions abounded: will i always feel this way? when will my motivation to create come back? what will i do if it doesn’t?!

and then the terror set in. and lingered. and it hadn’t gone away officially until this past weekend when my family came to visit. three year-old’s have an uncanny ability to question everything and inspire you in the same breath. and that’s exactly what my three year-old nephew did.

his question was a simple one: how do you make a book? and it turned into a bookmaking lesson with the most adorable student. he also happened to be more keen on bookmaking than most adults i have met.

the excitement in his eyes when he found out he could choose a button. a button. the sheer delight he found in stamping each book. and the pride he found in completing each one, making it necessary to show the finished product to those around him.

all of this begs the question: when do we stop finding the world around us novel, exciting and inspiring? and what shifts in our minds to make it so difficult to find?

next time i find myself in need of an inspirational kick in the behind, i’m just going to call my nephew and ask him about books. i’m sure he’ll have some amazing things to say on the topic!

[this was also posted over at emilylevenson.com]