last week, i started a short series exploring how the internet is shaping our creative process. before plugging back into the net full-time last year, my creative process was virtually (get it?) nonexistent. i’m thinking you might have a similar experience… the power that the internet has to provide an invocation for our creative stirring.
part 3 :: invocation
invocation, in a sense, is a call to a higher power. it’s a prayer, a song, a supplication that asks for that higher power to come and make its presence known.
be carefree from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.
creativity is often seen as a representation of a higher power than our own. whether you believe in a scientific or more faith-based creation story, the very act of creating reminds us of our own piece of the divine.
the internet has given us a network of blogs, communities, and bookmarking sites that we can call on at anytime, day or night. these sites provide a stirring invocation to our creativity. where else can you find how-tos, visual inspiration, and compelling stories all in one place? okay, maybe the library but since those are disappearing at an alarming rate (and aren’t open 24 hours a day!), the internet has stepped in as a phenomenal place to find that special stirring in our creative souls.
my invocation at the start of every day
in fact, i start every day with the internet. while it’s true that this sometimes has the undesired effect of giving me something to stress over. most often, i can invoke the internet to bring me a piece of news or insight or beauty that acts as something to consider while i prepare for the day. that something gets my brain moving, gets my creative mojo hopping, and helps me deal with server problems, temper tantrums, and forgetting to eat lunch.
sure, there are plenty of other ways to invoke your own creative passion: meditation, journaling, a brisk morning walk. and ya know… those sound pretty great! but the internet & i have always had a thing. ever since i first heard that modem connect up to the prodigy mainframe. that loose connection of electrons & pure information does something to unite by left and right brains that i just can’t ignore.
Lisa Hannigan – Lille from ATO Records on Vimeo via faye + co.
maybe you don’t get that same feeling of “invocation” from the internet. that’s cool, i understand. but i’m guessing many of you do and haven’t had a word to put to it. that’s why you’re here right? maybe scoutie girl doesn’t give you that creative calling every day but another blog on your list steps in and fills that spot. or maybe it’s browsing the front page of etsy, listening to a podcast, or reading an article from your favorite online newspaper.
i think the trick to identifying how the internet – this crazy creative online community we find ourselves in – shapes our creativity is finding what exactly fulfills the role of invocation. when you’re looking for inspiration on the net, where do you go? what facet of “being connected” allows you to call on the divine creative spark deep down inside of you?
Tara Gentile is a business coach and blogger serving passion-driven entrepreneurs with fresh ideas about 
holy cow. remember how i said i was anxious to add video to my blog? i better step up my game. those videos and music selections were AWE-SOME. awe-inspiring. amazing.
I’ll be honest, if it wasn’t for the internet, my creativity would be permanently stuck in a void of business and boredom. The discovery of creative individuals documenting and sharing was eye-opening. I’ve found that spark that I needed through the many blogs that I read. I’m also using the internet to hold myself accountable by documenting my own progress. The volume of creativity that I find can be overwhelming, but instead I pick up bits and pieces, turn it over in my mind and figure out how I can apply it to myself. It has been a wonderful journey so far!
to tell the truth, sometimes the internet is awesomely inspiring, and sometimes it’s a drain.
I never know what it’s going to be in my life on any particular day.
I kind of like it that way.
This post was marvelous, though.
I cannot start my day off with the internet or I end up with stress and overload. I do get on later and I find other artists and bloggers who inspire and motivate me; I find sites like this one that help me think through the process of what I’m trying to achieve. And, like Terri above, I use the internet to hold myself accountable. When I promise my blog readers that I’ll do something, I feel pretty compelled to do it!
that was an excellent post and a great start to my day – thank you
Like you, I start my day with the internet…although I’ve grown to appreciate the sense of community that I have found with it, the visual excitement I get from seeing the work of other folks has been one factor in my growth as an artist…although sure, I could, have and do get visual stimulus in other venues, I think that the everyday aspect of it was one key to my breaking through to me own muse. Times like now I have less time to peruse the blogosphere, and that’s fine, cause I’ve got my work to do…but I take comfort in knowing that if the well goes dry, I should find revitalizing energy by seeing the work of others online – WOOT!