INSPIRATION: Steve Jobs

A wise man once told an interesting quote,

Even though he was a billionare, he would walk home with a hoodie on or a coat.

He was always known by his brilliance,

And even when he was fired, he still had charisma and resilience.

He also created the iPhone,

He also made another way to enjoy life at home.

He next made the Mac,

which could play a music track.

He had a desire to settle for nothing less than perfection,

And with everyone he met he left a good… no great impression.

After he was fired from being CEO, he didn’t cry,

But had to watch his company crumble, when everyone said… why?

That was when he became CEO again and took over,

But his kindness and hard work flourished, saving his company, he was luckier than a four leaf clover.

That’s when a wise man once said…

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me… Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… That’s what matters to me”

… Steve Jobs 1955-2011

INSPIRATION: It is time to get out of bed!

It is Year 11, and I won’t lie; the outlook is bleak. Put aside a triple-dip recession with no end in sight. Put aside global political instability and the very real prospect of looming war in the East, not to mention a number of vast humanitarian problems. Like many, I’m currently engaged in the tedious and soul-destroying process of taking tens of exams as part of my statutory GCSEs. Should I achieve reasonable success in these, I’ll be able to access two more sets of exams, AS and then A2 levels. Only if I prevail in these and win a relative lottery, will I be permitted access to university. And from there, things get harder. The only easy day was yesterday.

With this in mind, I sometimes ask myself what my inspiration is for getting out of bed in the morning. Truancy laws notwithstanding, the question of ‘Why bother?’ is a poignant one for the half million or so people my age in the UK. I’m still waiting for the definitive answer, if there even is one. But in the meantime, I thought I’d try and write my own. By almost all measures, we’re set to be the healthiest, smartest, most tolerant and promising generation of humans to have ever existed. And we’re all about to come of age. We are safer and more secure than any who have come before us. Not because of the size of our armies, the height of our walls or the might of our weapons. We are safe because we are the children of a peacetime set to outlast any before it. We are safe because our parents tore the walls down and buried the hatchets. The focus of scientists moved to technology that can enhance life rather than end it.

Contrary to what I said at the start, the road paved for us is a smoother one than it has ever been. Yet there is still a huge amount left to be done. Fifteen years ago, not long after the generation I’m part of was born, a group of world leaders took their seats at a table and made some promises about what they were going to do for humanity in the next fifteen years. The promises included eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, and giving every child a primary education, as well as various other commitments. Sadly, although things improved, none of the promises were truly fulfilled. They couldn’t or wouldn’t finish the job. We can do better. We must do better. We will do better. We have to finish what they started. If the promise of a generation is to leave behind something better than they themselves were left, then we have work to do. It’s time to get out of bed.

INSPIRATION: 'Into the Wild'

I have just watched one of my favourite films. It is a film that some critics have lauded as revolutionary and some have panned as over-acted and aimed at the shoe-gazer in all of us. The film in question is ‘Into the Wild’; the cinematic portrayal of John Krakauer’s bestselling novel of the same name. It tells of the true story of Christopher McCandless’ journey to find meaning and freedom, away from his view of the materialistic and subversive nature of the world. Although his journey ends in tragedy in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness, he gains from his travels.  He realises the value of shared experience and his world-views are challenged. This, to me, is the essence of what it means to travel. Films such as this one, books like Kerouac’s ‘On the Road’ and poetry such as Robert Frost’s iconic ‘The Road not Taken’ are what inspire people to get out there, away from the norms of daily life, to see the wonders this big blue marble offers to those who venture far. Literature and the arts are, since the decline of pilgrimage in the modern age, the driving force for adventure and exploration away from the comforts of home. Writers and artists use the tools of their trade to inspire wanderlust and encourage people to do good for the world. Since before I can remember, all I’ve wanted to do is get out there, escape the suburban sprawl and see and experience the marvels of the world. This love of all things different from the status quo has given me a level-headed vision on the Earth and its problems. I credit writers, poets and artists for giving me this passion and drive. The Earth is something that should be treasured and thankfully, intellectuals understand this; they are people who inspire.

INSPIRATION: Finding Meaning

Inspiration is perhaps an exhausted term, occasionally thrown about with tremendous apathy. Whether it be watching Felix Baumgartner plunge into the troposphere, or marvelling at Shakespeare’s carefully ordered sonnets, one will exclaim as if a divine epiphany is pulsating through their body: “I am inspired!” But to what end? How does this joyful flood of inspiration manifest itself?

No, I’m not a misanthrope, nor am I a cynic. I simply encourage action. To avoid inspiration becoming yet another empty verbal vessel or “shape without form” as Eliot would perhaps describe it, one must act upon their inspiration. After watching Baumgartner leap in the air, try bungee jumping. After reading Shakespeare’s sonnets, craft your own poetry, play with form. It can be anything, but don’t let inspiration dissolve inside you like an antacid tablet. Instead, douse the flames of creativeness with a tankard of petrol; ensure you don’t let the grand thoughts inside your head remain meaningless electrical pulses.

The greatest literature our times have formed due to this mentality. Modernist poets and novelists such as T.S Eliot and Virginia Woolf were able to transform the traumatic event of WW1 into inspiration, aiding them to create a new type of literature. Eliot was in turn inspired by Dante, Dante by religious texts. The majestic works they went on to produce are therefore a result of a long cycle of inspiration, of a willingness to act. These works continue to inspire today, ensuring that there will always be a new generation of writers.

So, you can see that I’m far from cynical. There are those who are deeply mired in pessimism and would suggest that inspiration can act as a catalyst for negative action. The hateful rhetoric of Enoch Powell in 1968 inspired a deep antipathy towards immigrants, mistakes over the existence of WMDs led to a pointless charade in Iraq and inspiring people to throw away their lives. Yet I don’t belong with those that make it their daily task to wade through thick pools of misery, but rather I believe in the necessity and value of action, of achieving and matching the dizzy heights of what inspires you. Thomas Jefferson, former president of the USA and one of the founding fathers, appears to epitomise this idea: “Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” Make sure your inspiration has meaning.  

INSPIRATION: 'Torchlight on a Bolted Toolbox'

I can make something now,

Nailed down by apathy

Steel cased in my walls

Plagued by lack of drill power,

I made nothing.

Ricocheting off your example:

A sparkflash in a sunken pit

Towelled in a darkness

Idly persisting to endure.

One beam on that box  

Now it unlocks.

INSPIRATION: The Greeks

If you are considering who the most inspirational and influential figures in all of history are, then you may end up contemplating the ancient Greeks. It is argued that our entire civilisation is based on their culture as the birthplace of democracy and the source of most western literature.

But who inspired the inspiration?

Who can we thank for the work of the Greeks? 

That’s where it gets interesting.

Inspiration does not only mean to be creatively stimulated or influenced, it is also used as another word for inhalation (in terms of breathing). Interestingly enough, the ancient Greeks would use these definitions interchangeably. It was believe that all art was actually a result of the gods breathing through the creator. For example, when a poet such as Homer would recite a piece, they would call on one of the nine muses to speak through them.

The nine muses were all goddesses; there was one for each type of art. Each artist would have to call on the appropriate type; Homer would’ve called on the goddess Calliope, as she was the muse of epic poetry.

Even though there may not be ancient goddesses flying around, waiting for me to summon them to do my homework, I think that Greek-style inspiration is a fantastic take on how we create things now. I dare to say that I have been inspired.

Everyone has muses, everything we do, say and make has been influenced directly or indirectly by other people. I took the time to sit and consider who my muses are; where various friends and family members, teachers and celebrities came up. I have decided that this list has the potential to be endless; just about every single person on Earth has something valuable to offer.

So here is my mission: for everyone I meet, hear of, or read about, I will attempt to find at least one aspect or feature about them to remember. This can be anything, from what they are wearing to what they enjoy doing, as long as I remember this one thing I admire about them. I hope to prove that there is value to find in everyone, and that everywhere there is inspiration waiting to be breathed in.

INSPIRATION: A thought; A dream; A reality

One person's thought, no matter how big or small, can create something incredible. This is something we as people are all capable of.

When we see an Olympic gold medallist take the somewhat overwhelmed and unbelieving step up onto the highest podium, viewers can see how the effort they've put in, the time they've devoted, the failures they've endured, have all culminated in this history-making victory. Their sense of fulfilment radiates from them as they accept their medal. It's clear they know that what got them onto that podium was them; 100% them. Nothing but their actions and motivation which have shaped this reality. But even this must have started from somewhere...

The odd watch of the Games as a child in front of the television. The teacher who saw that they could go far as an athlete. The parents who encouraged them to pursue their love of sports. This was the birth of one child's dream to achieve a gold medal - and the start of one person's journey to result in winning one.

This shows what the work of an inspired individual can do. The drive fuelled by a person's dream to become something more has led to many breakthroughs throughout history that were once thought impossible. The fire which led to equal rights for women and black people would never have ignited without the spark provided from one person being inspired enough to see the flaws in the system and their willingness to do something about it. All of this started with one person's small, insignificant thought.

But it doesn't stop there, as the actions of these inspired individuals could further lead, and have often led, to the inspiring of others...

And so this knock-on effect will continue to produce the world's politicians, musicians, and everyone else who's brave enough to make their dreams a reality.

All that's left to do is get inspired.

INSPIRATION: Poland

For a long time now I’ve always been asked the question: ‘what inspires you?’ Yet I’ve never truly been able to answer this.

Last week I went on the year 12 Poland trip. The trip is an altogether different experience from anything I’ve ever done before. You can always learn facts and figures from books or documentaries, but you never really understand the holocaust and its horrors until you come up face to face with it.

On the trip we made Havdalah in the cellar of the house of the Nazi Commander in charge of the Plaszow Concentration Camp. This was the most spiritual part of the trip for me. Fifty of us packed into this tiny room and sang ‘Am Yisrael Chai’ in the place where 70 years beforehand Jews were brutally beaten, raped and murdered, by this evil man. We showed that no matter what is thrown at us, the Jewish people will always defy the odds.  
This inspired me because it taught me that you should never give up, and always try your hardest, because you will persevere.

I didn’t realise until I came back how powerful that moment was. The fact that I stood there singing and dancing, showing my existence, made me understand the importance of having pride in who you are.

Poland has inspired me to contribute to my Jewish community more by standing up for Jewish related issues like Israel, because I learnt that if I just sit back and wait for somebody else to do something, no one will.