On Inspiration

As someone whose entire job is to tell stories, I’ve been feeling self conscious lately about if I have anything wise or inspired to say.

Sometimes I struggle to create in the face of an industry so obsessed with intellectualism and novelty, that I don’t really feel special enough to operate in a medium so expensive and laborious, one that requires a large audience to financially justify its own existence.

Brad Behle and Theresa Ratliff (from our documentary, Ride in Paradise, coming soon) are inspirations to me of what it means to help others.

But in real life, is being inspired as important or needful as being helpful?

What if I were to tell stories that help people and stop trying so hard to be “inspired”? 

Because in reality, my desire to inspire others probably comes from a desire to feel significant and important.

But when I shift my attitude to just being helpful, to noticing what deserves to be noticed, and celebrate admiration in humanity, I feel relieved of the burden of self-elevation, and can enjoy having my feet back on earth. 

I become a human being again. Which I suppose feels good because that’s actually what I am.