". . . a brush with nature"

I first read the term, “inspired curiosity” in an article by Clint Watson and I was immediately taken with the phrase. As a creative sort of person, it really speaks to me because I feel like I am always curious about things and very often inspired by the new discoveries I make when following my natural curiosity. 

Being curious about things keeps you from becoming stagnant no matter what part of life we are thinking or talking about. It doesn’t just pertain to artistic endeavors. The desire to explore new avenues and learn new things is important for each of us, no matter what our age or stage in life. In fact, it has long been a personal goal of mine to do just that . . . to try and learn something new every day. Very often these are just the “I can’t believe I didn’t already know that” type of discoveries, but once in a while these “aha moments” are truly mind blowing.

For creative people, whether artists, musicians, authors or whoever, following their natural curiosity has often led them to continued growth, and quite possibly continued greatness, along a surprisingly different path. The Beatles are a wonderful example of this. During their career as a group, and later as solo artists, they explored many different styles, sounds and genres of music. They were curious and certainly not afraid to follow that curiosity wherever it might lead them. And it led them to the unmatched greatness that only they had the ability to create by being curious, creative and unafraid to explore.

Authors often explore many different genres, too. One contemporary and very well-known example of this is J.K. Rowling. Rowling, known for her Harry Potter series, also writes crime fiction under the name of Robert Grailbraith. I absolutely love the quirky, but oh so human characters, of Cormoran Strike and his partner, Robin Ellacott, that are the main characters in her crime fiction series. I am so thankful that J.K. Rowling allowed herself to be curious enough to explore different avenues of writing. If she hadn’t, we’d certainly be missing out on something very special.

The gist of this is to allow yourself to be curious and stay that way throughout your lifetime. Don’t be afraid to follow your curiosity wherever it might lead you. Let your own “inspired curiosity” be your guide. It will be what keeps you young.