If you are anything like me, most facets of life provide inspiration of one sort or another. True, life is not always a bowl of cherries.  And it will often prompt you to act, (if only out of sheer terror at the consequences of inaction.) Yet, truth be told, there is so much “content” available to us through daily living that we’d have to be comatose to not be inspired at some level. When we look around us, life’s creative forces become apparent.

Inspiration, you say…

And, you may ask, what is a mystery writer doing writing about inspiration in the first place? Far be it from me to preach (not that anyone would listen.) I’m not talking about sermons on what we should worship, or “win one for the Gipper” locker-room speeches. I’m referring to those moments of clarity when we know above all else, what we’re doing and how we’re going to do it—that epiphany, sheer exhilaration, piercing insight, a bolt from the blue!

More than money, power or glory, it’s the simple joy of creating.  It’s what I live for—how I keep going in spite of all reasons to the contrary. Creativity—for me, it’s the juice, the essence of life.

The Essence of Creation

As an artist—a writer, photographer and ex-musician—I draw inspiration from the creations of my fellow artists. The aesthetics of their creations fuel my creative fires. And I enjoy a wide array of aesthetics. From velvet darkness to brilliant light and all the spectral colors in between, beauty is found in those works that reach out and touch you where you live—sometimes with a sledgehammer, other times with the caress of an angel. The kaleidoscope of aesthetics is a work in progress, ever-changing, and the more glorious for it.

Creature of Passions

My personal preferences are largely comprised of music—that which moves me. I use musical inspiration to set the scene for writing.  Whether it opens the door to a higher plane or sets the mood for a particular passage, music provides the grist for my mystery writing mill.

A Short List

From YouTube here are some of the artists, their works and the passions they inspire:

For the sheer joy of their compositions and musicianship –

Trust me, I could go on  . . .  there is no shortage of musical genius out there.

When it comes to fist-pumping, try a couple of these little ditties –

Sometimes you gotta kickass!

Then there’s those moments of tenderness, of introspection . . .

Some music stirs the spirit like nothing else . . .

And finally, celebration . . .

I could throw in a little Marilyn Manson for grim little snippets of horror, but I’ll let you use your imagination.

It may seem like an unlikely collection to inspire mystery stories, but whatever works…

Excerpts from my murder mystery novels can be found at  https://michaelallanscott.com/

Tell me… what inspires you?

Creative Commons Attribution: Permission is granted to repost this article in its entirety with credit to Michael Allan Scott and a clickable link back to this page.

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