This post is the twenty-third in a blog series where I’m exploring various aspects of INSPIRATION. When I chose INSPIRATION as my word for this year, my first thoughts were about finding, acting on and (in some cases) limiting INSPIRATION.
I also knew I wanted this word to motivate me not only in my
scrapbooking and crafting but also in my physical, spiritual and
intellectual goals. During my FUN year last year, I published a two-week
series entitled Where Does My Inspiration Come From?, which looked at the many different sources of INSPIRATION
specifically for scrapbook layouts. However, in this series, I’ll be
sharing a word for each letter of the alphabet (from A to Z) that relates to INSPIRATION along with my random and in-depth thoughts on that word and the various ways it relates to INSPIRATION in our lives.
W is for Work
Work is defined as "an activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or specific result" or "a job or activity that you do regularly, especially in order to earn money." Work is what helps us accomplish the things we want to achieve.
The word Work often has a negative connotation because we associate it with things we don't want to do or that are difficult. However, Work can be easy or hard, fun or boring, simple or complex. When I do the Work to bake a pecan pie, I have FUN and enjoy the process. Knowing that I'll get to enjoy eating and sharing the pie provides additional INSPIRATION for the Work required to follow Grandma's recipe and "cook it 'til it's done."
When I do the Work to mow the yard, I expend a lot more physical energy (and sweat!) and do not enjoy the process as much, however I feel a great deal of satisfaction once the Work is completed. My healthy living goals and desire to have a nicely manicured lawn are the INSPIRATION for doing the necessary Work.
It's important to note that after the INSPIRATION comes the Work. For example, we can find lots of INSPIRATION for creating scrapbook layouts, however the only way we'll ever have completed layouts in our albums is to do the Work of creating them. This year I have collected quite a bit of layout INSPIRATION in my INSPIRATION notebook, unfortunately I have not taken as much time as I had hoped to complete the Work of creating layouts. However, my goal of completing my Top Five layouts each month was the INSPIRATION for creating the layout below.
The INSPIRATION for the design of this layout came from a Simple Scrapper digital template, which simplified the Work needed to complete this digital layout.
In summary, Work can be easy or difficult, and INSPIRATION often leads to Work.
What's your favorite kind of Work? Please share your thoughts on Work and INSPIRATION in the comments.
Click HERE to see all my INSPIRATION A-Z posts, or click a letter below to see individual posts.
I always smile when scrapbookers say to someone "I like your work". I don't think of it as work
ReplyDeleteLove the yellow and pink together on your layout, and thanks for the reminder that after inspiration you have to do the work, I often forget that bit.
ReplyDeleteBoth hubby and I totally subscribe to the theory - that sometimes it is just the satisfaction of having completed the work (especially work-outs) that makes the work worth it.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, and I really like that layout too.
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