“Looking out on the morning rain/I used to feel so uninspired/ And when I knew I had to face another day /Lord, it made me feel so tired.” –Aretha Franklin

We all crave inspiration, don’t we? Life becomes such a chore without it. The word itself comes from the Latin inspirare: to breathe into and I believe it is as important to us as breathing.

Revising a manuscript can quickly deplete you of inspiration. It’s a little like cutting through a jungle hoping you find a clearing at the other end. There’s a good bit of perspiration but precious little inspiration in the whole process. The talented writer (and fellow Nashvillian!) Victoria Schwab wrote a wonderful post about it here.

Now that my revisions are done I’ve gotten back to some things that inspire me. I’ve seen two movies–Anna Karenina and Skyfall–and enjoyed both immensely. I’ve been inspired to pick up Tolstoy’s classic and now can’t seem to put it down. And who would have thought a James Bond flick would lead me to research the English Reformation and Scottish recusants?

And then there’s this. I just have to share it because it is one of loveliest, most inspirational things I’ve seen in a while:

I hope you find some time during this busy month to be inspired!