Meeting December 16, 2001 - Inspiration Project Christmas Party

At this meeting we had an Inspiration Project Christmas Party, art showing and did an evaluation of the group.

Sandra kept saying, "This is really good lasagna, this is really good lasagna."	Yes it was very good, we picked it up at the juice bar collective in Berkeley.
We discussed what we had been doing in the group. What worked, what didn't and what we want to do in the future. Some ideas that came up; Do something more physical to create inspiration, like dancing and chanting. Bring stories from our daily lives where we are dealing with inspiration or lack of it and discuss it. The group can help on specific experiences. Start getting some guest teachers.  January hiatus  - A couple of people will be gone for January and we want to spend some time getting the word out about the group, so we decided to take a hiatus for the month of January.	Gary places artwork from previous meetings on the wall.  Guy said, "That looks great!."

We did a 12 minute free form writing on the questions; 

• How would you plan /organize the group.

• What are your favorite aspects?

• And, what would you do differently?

Gary

The Inspiration of Inspiration

Lately I've been seeing that inspiration is more that a hoped-for but infrequent visitor. Inspiration, as I am beginning to perceive it, is a commitment to honor the impulse to create, connect and adore the life-energy that flows all around us and thought us. In other words, it is the essential being inside us, with its need to love and create. Then life becomes a series of opportunities to love and connect with what life is presenting to me, and to create using the resources that life is supplying to me.

So I feel that the idea for the Inspiration Project Group is good - basically good, and the best way to make it better is for every person involved to make a choice o see inspiration in their own life and bring that to the group. So it is less of hopping to become inspired, or to find out about inspiration, and more about inviting everyone's deepest self-commitment to contribute and play within the group space. As Laura said, "Let's not just study the Muses menu. Hell, we're all starving, Let's eat!

I write everyone's personal truth into the circle. We are all looking for inspiration with what we are actually and immediately faced with. A creative route thought actual challenges, rather than a robotic or repetitive response.

Also - move breath and energy - physically. otherwise it remains very mental.

I choose to embrace my experience and perceptions and not reject then in a search for "something else". I choose to see the beauty and possibilities in what is in front of me. I choose to relate and engage with what is presented to me - inside and out. I choose and choose and choose again and again to cultivate inspiration.

Kid's don't have to be taught how to play. They aren't interested in investigating the idea of play. When someone says, "let's play", they know what it means and begin immediately. Creativity is adult play.. The adult part may be in refining product - putting energy into form, leaving a legacy, making a contribution.

Harry B.

If you start from the perspective that we are all artist, or capable to artist expression, it is possible to look around and see that this promise has not been achieved by the average person, except to a limited extent. The section of the newspaper devoted to arts and entertainment celebrates those who are artists, exhibit, share and promote their work, and writers who share their thoughts and feelings and perceptions in public, in print or even on the air (or on the internet). Has the education system failed when a token number of people are considered accomplished, their output worthwhile, and the larger part of the public are observes, audiences, readers or critics (internally) of the daring creators.

One of the goals of the Inspiration Project would seem to be to give permission and to encourage everyone to explore his thoughts and feelings (and artistic/poetic/musical/etc expression). The blank notebook/journal market is exploding, or has been lately, as people increasingly commit their thoughts to paper in some form. I've  met individuals who are in constant dialoged with themselves, sketching their dreams and visions and then analyzing what they've produced in an effort to get deeper into an understanding of their being, their creative underlining self.  Are we not saying, unfold and release your mind, -project and protect- your thoughts, don't fear that you'll be judged because something may not be original or perfect or distinctive or apt. Drawing on inspiration should become a powerful, self-development tool.

Edwin

O.K. an evaluation in 12 minutes. I'd liked doing the activities, They were experimental for me. I had been wanting to try them out in a group. I appreciate Joan's facilitating of the groups. She does a much better job than I.

I've been thinking of how to bring in more a spirit of the IDEO, type of brainstorming and process. More of a free wheeling quality. Cathy thought the group would be more like that, so she ay have been disappointed and it's one of the reasons she dropped out of the group.

I think we may have been going in to many directions, with talk of an exhibit, book, web, etc.

The other thing, the group has been getting smaller and we need more of a critical mass. I feel comfortable with he group we have. It has a good feel.

I enjoyed Gary's inspiration singling this morning. He seems in an up/inspired mood today.

So how to go forward? That's the big question, I'd like to put it out to the group. I like seeing all the art work on the wall, it has a cheery feel.

I'm starting to get hungry, - got the language part of the book to work on. It's moving along well. ...back to the group. I'd like to see more people involved. A shift to individual aspects of inspiration, especially the aspect that Saundra talks about... turning every experience into inspiration.

I could keep going. See what comes up next, Harry's writing away. Wonder what he's writing so intently. He has such a quality of clarity to what he writes.

Joan

Forming a group that is able to become an ensemble of people takes a great deal of thought and energy. Foremost I think it is a matter of reaching the people that might find the project intriguing and want to make an investment of themselves (time/energy). What we have tried to do is plan many activities that would appeal to someone that has a desire to explore as many different aspects of the arts as possible - with no limitations.

Before I go any father - I need to detach myself form the process and answer my questions. The favorite part of the group was sharing my ides and plunging into an activity and setting aside time to just focus on the theme of inspiration- putting aside the outside activities and being present.

My least favorite aspect of the group was not having enough time for recruiting - what I feel can easily be remedied.

What excites me most is that  I feel we have only touched the tip of the iceberg.