Today my husband took me to see JULIE & JULIA, the long awaited Meryl Streep, Amy Adams movie. I'd read Julie's book (for which the movie's named) a year ago and Julia's MY LIFE IN FRANCE three or four years back. Talk about inspiring women!!
Both of these charming women (I'm speaking of Julie and Julia here) found themselves at a sort of fork in the road of their lives. For Julia Child it was life in France with her government employee husband, and her desire to not be just another wife sitting it out at home. For Julie Powell, it was feeling stuck in a job she no longer (if ever) found stimulating and a personal fear that she'd never finish anything.
I wish I could say I've never had an unmotivated, uninspired day in my life, but that would be a lie of olympian proportions. In fact, I think it's fair to say that since I "officially" retired in 2004, I've had more UNINSPIRED than inspired days. It's not that I don't have dozens of things I could be doing ... even our wedding scrapbook (begun in 2005) remains unfinished. As does a travel scrapbook, a half dozen childrens stories I've written for my stepdaughter and promised myself I'd shape up, add to and at least make an attempt at getting published. The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak.
On the other hand, I did recently turn my little kitchen-table hobby of decorated apparel into a real (read: paying) business. But even that project was peppered with moments of me asking myself if I really wanted to do it, had the energy to do it, even cared enough about having a business of my own - to do it. So far, I seem to be on the right track. But as Scarlett Ohara herself said; "tomorrow IS another day".
Inspiration is a personal thing. And for me at least, it's fluid. Some days I'm more inspired than others. Maybe it has something to do with thinking I've earned "retirement", maybe it's that somedays I feel downright old and tired. And maybe the answer to it all lies in simply taking a first step. Like I've done with my new business, and this blog. For me, inspiration isn't just in the "doing", it's in the "seeing". Maybe that can be an inspiration for you.
For Melinda R, the reader who asked me to post an example of my photos from my "Thirty Photos in Thirty Days" ... here you go Melinda. The baby rattle (pictured above) seemed to jump right out at me from a display in the charming English Tea room where my husband and I enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea today. Now it's your turn. Come one, give it a go, I promise inspiration is just a click away!
Lori
