Spaces Of Inspiration

Our goal, with this essay, is to riff.

To riff on spaces of inspiration.

Or, more specifically, spaces that, when interacted with, allow you to experience a rich abundance of inspiration.

Something like that.

Space 01: A Shopping Mall

Out of all the shopping malls in the world — and, believe me, there are quite a few — my seven favorites are::

• Clackamas Town Center
• IOI City Mall
• Suria KLCC
• Lloyd Center
• Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

Every single one of these malls is rich with shops, restaurants, spaces; and so and so forth.

If you move across these spaces, you welcome, into your experience, a vast wealth of novelty.

Just as an example, you might move across a bookstore and, then, a clothing store, before winding through a chocolate shop and a game store.

Or, at least, you would, if you were wandering through Clackamas Town Center.

You can allow all of this information — all of those ideas, those moments, those possibilities — to flow into you, through your creative center, connections will be born.

Connections that allow new ideas to be born.

A connection between, say, a book on the holographic universe and a piece of chocolate; every piece of chocolate emanating from a singularity of information, taste, experience; ad infinitum.

Or, well, that is what happened to me, not so long ago.

If you visit a nearby mall, and do so with the intent to experience novelty, creative inspiration, and passion, then this may be your experience, as well.

Space 02: A Library

Out of all the places that can exist in this world, libraries may, very well, be my absolute favorite.

Some of my favorite libraries are as follows:

• The Chocolate Road Garden
• Woodstock Library
• Milwaukee Library
• Central Library
• Shah Alam Library

Every single one of these libraries is rich with books, comic books, films, computers; and so on and so forth.

If you want some easy inspiration — or, even, just some novelty — go to a library and grab a book from three different sections of that library.

You should grab at least one book from a section that you like and, then, two more books from two sections that you aren’t very familiar with.

A good example of this is me grabbing a book from the “Self-Help” or “Mystery” section and, then, grabbing a book from the “Architecture” section and then, the “Cooking” section.

Right after that, you can read a little bit from each one of these books.

Your mind will make connections and enrich itself, allowing for a wealth of inspiration to arise.

Space 03: A Museum

My experience with museums is far more limited than my experience with malls and libraries.

Even so, museums are a great place to visit for inspiration.

If you aren’t familiar with the topic being explored, then the above is even more true.

Go into a museum and, then, actively engage with it.

Your mission is to learn.

To expand your mind.

If you do so, your mind will grow and evolve, giving birth to a wealth of new ideas.

A wealth of new ideas you may have never thought of before.

Just as an example, visiting the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry allowed me to think about technology as an endless process of evolution; a neverending transcendence of experience, habit, perspective; ad infinitum.

It also led to a lot of other ideas. But, those have — mostly — been forgotten.

Conclusion

Every space can be a source of inspiration.

If you let it be.

But, if you can’t do that right now — or, don’t want to — then going to one of the three spaces outlined above is wise.

If you do so, and explore with the intention of being inspired, you will meet with inspiration.

On its own, this inspiration may be mild, lovely, and ephemeral.

But, sometimes, this inspiration may be transcendent, immaculate, and extraordinary.

You just never know.

But, it begins with the intention — or, at least, that’s my thought — and, then, movement.