Finding Your Inspiration

What made you want to become what you want to be? Who do you want to be like? No, not a copy. But someone that you look up to as an artist, athlete, leader, a band or a singer. Mine would be the pop-punk-rock band, Icon For Hire. The lead singer always feels so real. And she is an inspiration to me and most of her fans. While her band isn’t super popular like Paramore or Fall Out Boy that’s almost what makes them so amazing. The fact that it isn’t the entire world listening to them, it’s just you and the other fans. It like our own secret band! 

So who is that to you? Is it someone you know or a celebrity? Do you know them or do you wish you could know them? Ask yourself what about them makes you like them so much? If you can’t answer that question then you don’t know exactly what you want. Let me give you this for an example. We’ll create a conversation between a music fanatic and a sports fanatic. We’ll name then Bob and Fred. Like it? It’s very original isn’t it! I thought of it all by myself! 😂

Bob: “Ed Sheeran has the best music ever! I wish I could be him!” 

Fred: “Why’s that? I don’t really like his music much. Too pop.” 

Bob: “What?! I like Ed Sheeran ‘cause he’s awesome! I want to be like him ‘cause I love his music.” (Um what in the world? Was that supposed to be an explanation??) 

Fred: “Really? I don’t believe you, not too convincing.” 

Bob: “But his music is amazing! If you just give him one more try…” 

Fred: Yeah, I’m good. I think I’ll just stick to Steph Curry.” 

Bob: “Steph who??” 

Fred: *gasp “Stephan Curry! The greatest basketball player ever!” 

Bob: “Really? Never heard of him. Why’s he so great?” 

Fred: “Well…’cause he just is!” 

Ok, should I really go on? (See this is what happens when you’re homeschooled. You start creating conversations between people who don’t exist! 😂) But seriously, have you not said at least close to the same thing? I know I have, I’ll be the first to raise my hand. Why do I love this movie? “Cause it’s just good!” Would be my answer. It doesn’t make any sense! We have to find our ‘why’. It’s important to find it. 

Now here’s some ways to find your ‘why’ if you don’t have it. I’ll use Ariel Bloomer, the lead singer of Icon For Hire for an example. 

Start with their name, then list what they are. What they do and what you like about them. Don’t overthink it, it’ll probably start out really general. Ever heard of brainstorming? This is like that. Just write everything down until you come to something you really like. 

Ariel Bloomer:

Singer 

Style 

Good Voice

Her story is inspiring 

The lyrics to (most!) of her songs aren’t thoughtless, they have real meaning and personal experience in them 

Her energy and hard-work

She genuinely sounds like a decent person (she hasn’t lost herself) 

She treats her fans well 

Her and her band are amazing at concerts (So I’ve heard, I’ve yet to actually go to one…I emphasize the ‘yet’!!) 

I could put so much more! I love almost everything about their band. But you get the idea right? Write everything that comes to mind about this person or group, go into even more details than I did here. You’ll find out a lot about what you’re wanting if you don’t know yet. 

Now, go through the list and pick out the most inspiring qualities or actions that stand out to you most. Done? Then add those qualities to your dream. (I know, math! Ugh!! Hang in there!) 

Mine would be: Singer (my dream) + meaningful lyrics (quality) + be myself (quality) + the fans that I have, I want them to be genuine and know that I am genuine (quality)

Add some more, add some that aren’t on your list. Remember, you aren’t coping these people, so don’t just use their qualities. So add away! Your list doesn’t have to be neat and short. It can be pages long and scribbled on, it doesn’t matter what it looks like. 

So you’ve found out what exactly you like from those people so next time someone asks you what you like you can answer with something more than, “Because they are amazing!” 

If you’re thinking something along the lines of, ‘I don’t have an inspiration,’ ‘how do I know what/who they are?’ ‘Why do I even need one??’ 

Everyone has an inspiration, you jus may not know who it is. Think, who is the person you would like to model your career off of? Who is the person you look up to most in your dream industry? That should give you an idea of who they are and how to know. You have one, I promise! There has to be some reason you have this amazing, achievable dream right?! 

Secondly, you need inspiration for those days when you feel down. The times that someone tells you that you can’t be what you want to be. That you can’t do what you want to do. If someone tells you that your dream is ridiculous and you can’t do it then what’s to stop you from believing them? Your inspiration! That’s the barricade between you and that pit of disbelief. You need inspiration. 

So what’s yours? Leave a comment with who it is! Who knows, maybe somebody else needs your inspiration. 

“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says I’m Possible!” 

~ Audrey Hepburn