Turn on the TV and you'll soon see something that will make you gasp.
Another shooting, killing or war. In today's world, people are looking
for inspiration, something that will motivate and spur them to make big
changes in life. Today's conventional media doesn't always provide the
invigoration people are looking for. An abundance of reality TV formats
and game shows have encouraged millennials to look for inspiration
online. Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter have revolutionized
the way web users get their inspiration, providing people with the
artistic and spiritual growth they need in a complex, complicated world.
But why is inspiration so powerful? And why are people turning to the
web to find it?
"Life," said Albert Einstein, "is like riding a
bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." It's quotes like
these that continue to motivate and invigorate web users. Type in
"inspirational quotes" into Google and you'll find an assortment of
sites with famous sayings, theories, and viewpoints from some of the
biggest visionaries, thinkers, and innovators in human history. Yes, all
of Einstein's famous quotes can quickly be accessed. As can Thomas
Edison's. Or George Washington's. For those who want to span back even
further, you can get philosophical inspiration from Plato or Aristotle.
Then there are contemporary business leaders, activists, and
entertainers whose famous sayings continue to motivate and stimulate.
From Oprah to Bill Gates, Obama to Mark Zuckerburg, and everyone
in-between, people can find an inspirational quote from a prominent
politician, entrepreneur or movie star in mere seconds. The vast amount
of material (and the speed in which you can find it online) has made the
internet a powerful platform for inspiration. Websites like Good Reads
and Brainy Quotes have a plethora of famous quotes and excerpts that
will get your creative juices flowing or provide you with the motivation
you need.
But why is inspiration so powerful? Well, it has a
long history that spans several centuries. Once believed to have
originated from divine forces, inspiration is defined as the process
whereby you are "mentally stimulated" to feel or do something,
especially when it comes to creativity. The origins of inspiration can
be traced to ancient Greece, where literature and the arts transformed
the collective consciousness, providing the population with new outlets
to express themselves and engage in debate. The arts redefined culture,
something that continues today as lyricists, authors, and actors produce
creative work that sometimes has no other purpose but to inspire. But
as traditional TV and radio networks place a greater emphasis on
commercial content to attract more advertising revenue, inspiration on
traditional media is all but obsolete. That's not to say there aren't
programs and personalities that continue to inspire and motivate via the
medium, but with inspirational shows like the Oprah Winfrey Show (once
championed as the go-to place for self-help gurus, book authors and
creative thinkers) now off the air, more people are turning online to
find something that will make them think deeper.
Social media has
magnified the growing demand for inspirational content. Facebook and
Twitter are two of the most popular social networks, but other sites,
such as Pinterest and Tumblr, are making it easier for people to share
inspirational song lyrics, quotes, illustrations and photos with friends
and family. Unlike television, which has been deemed to be an
impersonal medium, social media allows people to engage in conversation.
They can find something that inspires them and ask people to share,
like or comment. Social media has made inspiration global. Someone might
post a quote or short story in Japan and it might be shared in Florida
just a few hours later.
It's not just social media either.
Websites like Reddit make it easy for people to share their poetry,
short stories, fiction and haikus with a captive audience. Then there's
the rise of the meme: Short, snappy GIFs or images with inspirational
words, often with a humorous twist, are shared from city to city, state
to state, around the world. Inspiration has become a shared experience
for many, something that has exposed the works of the highest-regarded
thinkers and poets in history to a new generation. Instead of heading to
the library, people can find out more about Chaucer or Shakespeare
online.
Studies show that inspiration is still important and can
have a far-reaching impact. According to research, people who are in a
"state of inspiration" are more likely to show creativity in their
scientific writing, fiction and poetry. But that's not all. People who
are creatively inspired are more open to experiences and show specific
behaviors like an attention to detail. Creative people often draw from a
number of influences. They might be inspired by religion, politics,
culture, the weather, or a song. In today's ever-evolving world, many of
them are deciding to share their work online with an audience wanting
to be inspired.
People might crave inspiration when they
experience a life-changing event or something negative happens. But
traditional text (quotes, poems, and short stories) are sometimes not
enough for today's web savvy creative thinkers. They want more. They
scour sites like YouTube looking for video content that will inspire
them, with some of the most popular inspirational vloggers generating
million of views. As the world becomes increasingly visual, it's no
surprise that some people prefer to find inspirational content on video
sharing sites rather than at a library, museum or art gallery. However,
the process is similar: People are creatively inspired and might decide
to write down their feelings and thoughts about a piece of art, poem or
video.
Inspiration has come a long way since the days of ancient
Greece. The internet has revolutionized the way people find and share
information. Today, memes, GIFs, videos and quote websites provide
people with a creative outlet and source of inspiration, especially when
they can't always find this type of information from conventional
sources like television and radio. As more people use the internet
around the world, including on their smartphones and tablets, it looks
like people will be inspired for years to come, even when they are on
the go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UlcB2Zxtv8
No comments:
Post a Comment