Be Inspired!

What goal did you set for 2012?

New Year’s Resolutions: It’s a tradition. One, that at times, makes you feel like you have to commit to a grand or tedious scheme aimed at self-improvement. But those kinds of resolutions usually go up in smoke as soon as your hangover kicks in! Experts actually say that in order for your resolutions to stick, you have to give them a 30-day trial run. Also, you should choose a goal that is dear to you personally or which sends you on an adventure to discover the world around you. In that spirit – and for once taking the advice to heart -, one of my resolutions for 2012 is to “Be inspired!”. I feel like I have been sitting around too much, waiting for things to happen instead of going out there and seeking new experiences for myself. Well, it’s a new year and there’s 30 days left in January. My goal: To find something that inspires me every day! And in order to keep myself from quitting, I will post my findings on twitter each day. Anyone interested in joining me?

I can’t wait to discover what I will find, but I can tell you what I unearthed today.

My Spark of Inspiration # 1:   A picture trip down memory lane!

At the start of a new year, I normally reminiscence about the things I have seen and learned in the last year. In 2011, I actually got to travel a lot. Great Britain, Greece, Portugal and Germany were on my list of destinations. Thanks to fantastic weather, my trusty camera and the best travel buddies, I collected a host of great memories, impressions and anecdotes. The places that inspired me the most were the Monk Republic of Athos and the Meteora Monasteries in Greece, Sintra in Portugal and the baroque city of Dresden.

Check out some of my finds!

Don’t these views just reek of atmosphere and inspiration?

I could nearly hear the religious chants echoing from the majestic stone formations of Meteora. What a great setting those ancient monasteries would be for a thriller or a historical novel, especially if you add the mysterious monk republic on Mount Athos to the mix. Sintra, on the other hand, had the romantic charm of a medieval, fairy tale town tying in wonderfully with the surreal gardens of the Quinta da Regaleira. I will never forget the underground tower there, which incidentally already houses two characters of mine. I am certain that all these impression will eventually find their way into one or the other of the worlds I will dream up in the future. For now, they are filling the pages of my travel journals and are eternalized in the pictures I and my sisters took.

I hope that at the end of this new year I will have an archive of things, impressions and experiences which strike my creative vein and inspire me. For today, my trip down 2011 memory lane led me right into the decadent world of Geltown’s maverick, the big villain in my new writing project. What will tomorrow bring? What inspired you today?