Today the author of Moonlit, Jadie Jones, has kindly answered two questions for me about inspiration. And If you read nothing else in the post- at least read her favorite word....
Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration in two very different places.
First, nature. A breath-taking sunrise, beads of dew on a blade of grass, a
storm at sea, the way the wind howls, or when a flock of birds suddenly takes
to the air and whips around in carefully orchestrated chaos. These kinds of
things make me feel teeny tiny, a grain of sand on a beach. And yet at the
exact same time, I’m connected to the earth in a way that I often overlook. As
if nature has seen me, noticed me, and is demanding that I do the same. Then I
obsess about explaining why – what purpose that moment had. What is Mother
Nature trying so hard to say?
My second source comes from people. I think the
old adage: reality is stranger than fiction, often holds true. I love to people
watch. Either in line at the grocery store or in the food court in the mall,
someone will catch my eye. Maybe it’s the outfit, or the
contents of their shopping cart, or an exchange between two people. Humans are
the best and worst part of this planet. We are capable of such an infinite
degree of both beauty and cruelty. Strangers who show signs of living near
either extreme inspire me to dig into what life events led them to their
current personality address.
Either way, my face evidently tells on me when
my mind is whisked away and starts creating new puzzle pieces. My husband used
to ask me what I was thinking so hard about. Now he just shakes his head and
explains to our daughter: Mommy’s in her own world again.
What is your favorite word and why?
My favorite word: Burn. Short, sweet, and
volatile. It has a smell and a taste. It’s a light in the dark, and its own
kind of darkness. We burn to remember, to forget. To create and to destroy. I’m
a big fan of burn.
