The edge is where you get the best view – illustration

Sometimes in order to feel inspired, it’s important to challenge yourself in some way, to put yourself into a situation that is so different as to feel dangerous. These uncomfortable situations and circumstances allow you to discover parts of yourself that you might not have noticed otherwise.

Have you put yourself into a situation that’s uncomfortable, then once you realized this, remained in the situation, because of some benefit? Perhaps you’re a writer and wanted to see how the story ends. Maybe you just needed material. Peradventure you might just be punishing yourself because you’re comfortable being in a situation or circumstance where you’re on the receiving end of bad treatment.

Sometimes I put myself in weird circumstances just to get a good story, to pan for the gold even if the river is cold and fast flowing. I tell myself, well, I’ll keep myself here because the story’s not finished and, in order to put the period at the end of the sentence, I have to keep myself as a character in it, to see how it ends. I specifically did this with my journal, Shelters are Melting – the disintegration of my preconceived notions of reality confirmed by a journey to the American west, which you can read at bicycledays.com.

If you’re feeling bothered, discontented, depressed, bored, despondent, it’s time for you to move yourself, physically, into a situation or circumstance that’s fresh. Initially, this will feel uncomfortable, but eventually, you’ll find that the edge is where you get the best view.

P.S. I’m sitting at a table on the second floor of the Fletcher Free library in Burlington, Vermont. Outside, dirty snow, melted, frozen, blankets the lawn. Across the street, at the corner, is Merrill’s Roxy Cinema, a brick building movie theatre with small theatre spaces (probably holding about 150 people in each one), featuring, usually 1 or 2 independent type films. That’s where Meghan and I saw “Exit Through the Gift Shop”, a fun and interesting movie.

P.P.S. Thanks for reading this, and be sure to check out my friend, Erin Telford’s blog at http://www.erintelford.com/