Bird Perched Over a Pond: Plucking Inspiration From Your Brain

When we need inspiration for our next blog entry or work project, it usually helps to slow our minds down. Sit and examine our surface thoughts in a tranquil spot, waiting for the obscured, deeper ideas to slowly emerge.

The answers and illumination we seek don’t always present themselves immediately. Sometimes, we must alight in a quiet spot over our stream of consciousness, as a patient bird, waiting on our meal to materialize.

Meditation Techniques of the Water Fowl

When seeking inspiration, the writer must grow feathers and become a bird perched over a pond. Stone still against the blue sky. Waiting on those small fish to forget your arrival. To feel safe to appear again.

The waterfowl’s stillness rewarded as the small fry floats up from the blackness, trusting that there are no fishers nearby.

The bird eyes the chilled morsel that looks nourishing and satisfying. Finally certain. Striking with its bill. Chopsticking the conceptual fish, taking breakfast on the water.

The writer must follow this archetype from nature. Watch the tidal pools of the brain. Harness patience. Trust that the tense consciousness will relax with time. Random thoughts and hidden desires come out of hiding and venture nearer the the surface.

Take a decisive stab when inspiration is suddenly illuminated in the sunlight. Jab your pen into it. Toss it onto the page. Let it flop around. Make a mess. Leave its stain between the lines for us to collate and cleanup later.

Ammunition for Bloganuary

Bloganuary is a month-long holiday for deep thinkers. It’s a challenge from WordPress to journal at maximum capacity throughout January.

The event comes loaded with years of stored-up prompts. There’s also interaction as your #bloganuary tagged entries are shared with other writers. There are even coupons to be had. Clip those coupons!

When writer’s block threatens to blow a cold wind across Bloganuary, our bird strategy helps us dredge up juicy thought experiments from our own subconscious. To journal every day or every week, we’ll need to haul subject matter up from the icy waters and load up our storehouse.

Or, meditate on a provided Bloganuary prompt that catches your eye and see what threads you can pull out of it. Invest time in stealing cues from your muse, but don’t forget to take pen or keyboard in hand and do some actual writing. End

For more inspiration from nature and birds, read my guides to creekside meditations and bird feeder meditations. You could also head over to my article on why we all may need to release a bird from our arks in the new year.