Ep. 22 Need Inspiration? Do these 4 things

Season #2 May 31, 2022

Research is pretty clear about the benefits to being inspired: more creativity, optimism, competence, self-esteem and FLOW. Inspiration is even a predictor for how many U.S. patents someone holds. But inspiration is elusive and happens spur-of-the-moment. So, how can you lay the foundation to be inspired?

In this episode, Lauren details:
[2:59] The three components of inspiration and what sparks the difference between something you're inspired by versus inspired to do. She also details how inspirational thought transcends ordinary thought and motivates you to act.

[11:08] Lauren goes in-depth on the four things that come before inspiration, as it's understood in psychological research: openness to experiences, work mastery, small accomplishments and exposure to inspiring role models. She helps you understand how you can use those things to foster more inspiration. Plus, she details a bonus 5th signifier for inspiration she's noticed in her own life.

[20:24] Throughout the episode, you'll hear the benefits of inspiration, plus:

[6:58] A BONUS! Lauren does a mini-meditation for you to remember your most recent inspiration and identify what triggered it.

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
2:59 - Researching inspiration & the 3 Components
5:23 - Active and passive inspiration
6:58 - Inspiration meditation
8:43 - The Inspiration Scale (IS)
11:08 - (How to be inspired) Openness to experiences
12:55 - (How to be inspired) Work mastery
17:01 - (How to be inspired) The final 2
18:40 - (How to be inspired) Lauren's bonus 5th predictor
20:24 - Benefits of Inspiration
23:05 - Research Recap

For Lauren's research and show notes, email her at [email protected]

Sign up for weekly emails at www.AMPstigator.com

Episode Transcript

Ep. 22 NEED INSPIRATION? DO THESE 4 THINGS

By: Lauren Lowrey
May 31, 2022

CHAPTERS:
0:00 - INTRO
2:59 - Researching Inspiration
3:14 - 3 Components of Inspiration
5:23 - Active and Passive inspiration
6:58 - Inspiration meditation
8:43 - The Inspiration Scale
11:08 - So how do we get more inspiration?
11:23 - Openness to Experiences
12:55 - Work Mastery is a predictor of inspiration
17:01 - Two more ways to get more inspiration
18:40 - Lauren’s bonus 5th way to find inspiration
20:24 - Benefits of inspiration
23:05 - Recap

Thanks for coming back to the party.
The lauren-only party for another solocast with me.
Back in March when I recorded all my one-on-one interviews for season 2, I sat down and made an episode plan – basically when each of those interview-episodes would be released. I had recorded 11 interviews and I wanted to space them out throughout the summer.
But the amount of time I needed to fill was 17 weeks long from April through the end of July and I only had 11 episodes. So, I needed to get creative. That’s where these Lauren-only episodes came from, initially, just the need to cover my bases and make consistent content.

But what I didn’t expect was to totally fall in love with doing these things – to be totally INSPIRED.

A girlfriend of mine asked me on the day when I released my first solo episode in April – she texted me ‘how do you feel?’ and I immediately wrote back “AWESOME. Like this is what I’m meant to do.”

It was a real awakening for me – The clear “next step” for where AMPstigator needed to go and it was entirely born out of this idea of like ‘just do your job. Fill the hole.” The simple ACT OF RECORDING THESE EPISODES really highlights what I want to talk with you about today.

And that is: inspiration… WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT, why we all need to tap into it, AND – the reason you’re likely listening right now – the 4 things you need to do to find inspiration.

CRAZY ENOUGH – even the story I just told you shows one example of how to tap into inspiration - in the way that researchers have now determined.

BUT BEFORE WE GET GOING, MY NOTES ON THIS EPISODE ARE IN YOUR INBOX RIGHT NOW. YOU HAVE MY RESEARCH, JOURNAL PROMPTS AND KEY TAKEAWAYS ABOUT INSPIRATION. I REFERENCE A LOT OF STUDIES IN THIS EPISODE, SO IF YOU’RE A RESEARCH GEEK, LIKE ME, I HAVE DIRECT LINKS TO THE STUDIES IN THERE, TOO.
IF YOU’RE LIKE “WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT,” AND YOU DON’T GET MY WEEKLY EMAILS FOR THE PODCAST, SHOOT ME A QUICK NOTE AT LAUREN @AMPSIGATOR.COM
i’LL FORWARD THe EMAIL TO YOU.
AND IF YOU’RE LISTENING TO THIS LATER – JUST LET ME KNOW WHICH RESOURCES YOU NEED SO I KNOW WHAT TO SEND YOU.
AGAIN, MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS [email protected]

Okay - so - Why is inspiration so important? Why does it matter?
Humans have been writing about what inspires us for 2,600 years. The Greeks were talking about “The Muses,” as sources of poetry, art and songs. The ancients were already connecting to inspiration… but 2,600 years ago was the first time we know of them writing about it.

But from a scientific perspective, inspiration really hasn’t been studied AT ALL until the last 20 or so years - – mainly because it’s not exactly quantifiable. It’s definitely not tangible. The only thing we can really measure is the RESULT of the inspiration.

But a couple of researchers took a stab at it and they’ve created the gold standard for understanding inspiration. At least how we think of it today. So.. Back in 2003, these two guys - Todd Thrash and Andrew Elliot developed a definition that the psychology community agreed on. Up until then, no one agreed on how to define it.

So - They published their paper - it was called “Inspiration as a psychological construct” and basically defined inspiration with 3 components: evocation, transcendence and motivation

I know – big words here, it’s basically this.
-you see or hear something that EVOKES an emotion
-you realize it TRANSCENDS your ordinary or current way of thinking
-then you’re MOTIVATED to express that new vision

So… EVOKE, TRANSCEND, MOTIVATE. Three components of inspiration.

Let’s try to make that stick with an example.

Before I created AMPstigator I had been interviewing people who had achieved something great - and I started doing that in 2019. They were feature stories I’d do every couple of weeks and they were in addition to the daily newscasts I anchored. The stories should’ve been cut and dry, but what I found was those conversations and interviews EVOKED something in me that made me start thinking differently about my own life. So INSPIRATION started in these stories from other people.

So then, I became aware of all these other possibilities for my own life. I had this vivid idea that TRANSCENDED where I was and what I was doing. The idea was that I could be happy. I could share wisdom. And I could do what I’m good at, all at the same time – and that was because I was watching other people do it. The TRANSCENDENCE is a really important part to this, because you start seeing a different way of doing things or how things COULD be done.

So, once inspiration was EVOKED, AND I HAD NEW TRANSCENDENT THOUGHTS…. I was THEN MOTIVATED to actually act on what I saw AND FELT in my mind. I needed to express the new vision. That action became creating AMPstigator.

So… again, EVOKE, TRANSCEND, MOTIVATE. Three components of inspiration.

So – these same researchers who developed this in 2003, came back in 2004 with the follow-up to it about active and passive inspiration.

Passive is – basically when you’re “inspired by”
Active is when you’re “inspired to”.

See the distinction?

So, “i was inspired by his story” or “that art inspired me” is passive if it just evokes the emotion. You appreciate the art. You’re moved by the story, aaaaand you move on.

It becomes active inspiration when you actually do something. Like – “I was so inspired by seeing you clean the bathroom, that I cleaned the kitchen.” (and that’s a real-life conversation in my house, p.s.)

There’s action there.

But keep in mind… inspiration -at least by this accepted psychological definition- does not come from inside. It comes from outside of yourself. It could be something you see or here. It could be a new idea, a new product – literally anything that inspires you to think differently and then spurs you to take action with this new thought.

And it’s completely unique to you. Everyone’s different. Everyone’s story is different. But the thing that kept showing up in these guys’ research was this underlying idea that people kept saying over and over “my eyes were opened” – And then they were motivated to take action.

So right off the bat – WHY DOES INSPIRATION MATTER…because #1… this is where new concepts, thoughts AND products come from. Someone’s inspired, they have transcendent thought, then they act! They create something new!

—--------

So I want to take a moment to do something a little different. I’m gonna ask you to think through a few things.
(PAUSE)

First, I want you to remember a time you were inspired. A time when your eyes were opened to something different or new.

What was it? Was it a person? An object? Something you heard, or saw? Maybe it was something you ate or drank. Maybe a unique pairing of colors.

How did that particular inspiration change the way you thought? or saw, or did things?

And lastly – did you take action in any way after that inspiration? There’s no right or wrong here.. It’s just a reflection.

—------

Here’s why I want you to start thinking about inspiration… research in the last 20 years is showing a lot of interesting associations with people who experience inspiration.

For example, people who report more instances of inspiration are more creative. They also report higher levels of well-being. They report a compelling desire to act. Research also shows people who report more instances of inspiration also had greater efficiency and productivity. (Probably because they’re galvanized to create something and they just want to blaze! I mean, that’s the space I’m in right now.)

(INSPIRATION SCALE)
So how do we know if we’re getting several instances of inspiration? Well, these same guys - THRASH AND ELLIOT - who sort of wrote the book on this vein of research also came up with a scale they called the Inspiration Scale – (and I’ve got this in your notes, too, by the way - AGAIN, if you don’t have it, email me at [email protected]).

So, the Inspiration Scale is made up of 4 statements… and then two follow-up questions after each one.
It looks like this:
#1 “I EXPERIENCE INSPIRATION.”
And then the two follow-up questions are:
-How often does this happen? (and)
-How deeply or strongly

You basically start grading yourself on these 4 statements.

Then you give it a number from 1 to 7 – one being “not at all” and 7 being “very strongly.”

In the end, you total your score and the higher your total, the more likely you are to have all those positive effects I mentioned a second ago.

And this scale was important because until they published it in 2003, inspiration was considered elusive. There was no way to quantify it or even measure positive effects from it.

As a way to support the scale, these two researchers also put this Inspiration Scale on a sample of US Patent Holders. They found the higher scores on the scale also *PREDICTED* the number of patents they would have. So, if someone was like “oh yea, i’m inspired all the time,” they were also the people who held the most patents.

This is probably the right time to point out that - INSPIRATION isn’t the source of the ideas… it’s the motivation to create those ideas.

This is sort-of the intersection with creativity!

Thomas Edison once said “what it boils down to is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” Basically meaning – inspiration is just a tiny sliver, but I would argue it’s what gets the whole thing going.

[How to be more inspired]

So, here’s where we bring it all together…. HOW THE HECK DO WE GET MORE INSPIRED?!?

Obviously you see the benefits of inspiration – and if you’ve hung out with me for this long, you’re vested.

Here’s something that I found to be pretty wild in this research about how we can all find more inspiration… and there are FOUR TOTAL things research points to ALL OF US being able to do BEFORE we can be inspired:

First, the biggest thing is you have to be “open to experience.” That’s literally how the researchers coined it: “Openness to Experiences.” So that means you have to be willing to do things differently, experience things you haven’t experienced, go places you haven’t been, try foods you haven’t tried, read something you’ve never read, -or how ‘bout- LISTEN TO SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T THINK LIKE YOU.
Whoa….. Can we just let that one linger for a second. Listening to someone else - which I feel like we’re entirely resistant to do right now - could potentially be the basis for your next inspiration?!?!
Let’s apply that to what’s happening in our country right now. We’re just days removed from the devastating school shooting in Uvalde, Texas and gun control is now in the public conversation. Research points to “Openness to experiences” – new conversations on the issue could be the source of inspiration on how to fix the problem.
We could apply it to the public conversation of the last two years where we needed to break bias in this country. New experiences. New conversations… that could be the foundation for inspiration to emerge… the kind that motivates someone to make change.
So next time you’re faced with something -or someone- that might be considered “a new experience,” instead of feeling anxiety about it, try being open to it. The research supports that your OPENNESS to that new experience lays the groundwork for inspiration.

Here’s the next thing that surprised me about how to set yourself up for experiencing more inspiration… and this is #2…
Mastery of work.
That’s it. Mastery at whatever you’re doing is a predictor and part of the set-up before inspiration. And when you think about it, it makes sense. When you’re doing something day-in and day-out.. To the point you’ve reached mastery.. You understand the process in what you’re doing. You can identify when someone or something presents a new way of thinking of -or doing- that work. Or maybe even part of that work is on auto-pilot in your brain and you’re able to come up with ways to make it more interesting.

Here’s an example. I’ve been a News Anchor since 2006. As of today - right now - I’ve anchored 16,632 hours of newscasts. That’s not just going to work… that’s being on TV, under the lights, with a mic on, leading a show, reading a teleprompter, ad-libbing breaking news, tossing to reporters and meteorologists, ANCHORING news. That’s 16 years of as much as 6-hours A DAY of anchoring in regular shows.

You may have heard of the 10,000 hour rule. Malcolm Gladwell wrote about in his 2008 book Outliers. Basically – he said once you’ve done something for 10,000 hours, you’ve reached mastery. I’ve anchored 66% more hours over and above mastery.

Here’s why I bring it up. Researchers say “work mastery” lays the groundwork for inspiration. Which feels counter-intuitive, at least from my viewpoint because before AMPstigator, *i was bored in my work.* I was not being challenged, I was not fulfilled by my newscasts. Anchoring - talking into a mic- was such an old hat, that it wasn’t hard. It was like “okay, this is what I do for a job and then I go home.”

But here’s what I’m starting to understand now from this research and from my own experience of inspiration creating AMPstigator… when you’ve mastered something, you’re COMFORTABLE in it. It doesn’t take the level of brain power to just keep the wheels rollin’ or the lights on in your brain. So when something is different or interesting, it sticks out!

Does “work mastery” require 10,000 hours of something? I don’t think so. But take a look at your experience. What do you know how to do front-and-back? Research suggests that’s one of the 4 places you can find inspiration.

In 2021, when I realized there was more to the feature stories I was doing about people who had achieved something. But there was so much power in those conversations – way more than the 2 minute stories that ended up on TV… I was inspired to do something about it. Those conversations EVOKED emotion in me… my thoughts about life became TRANSCENDENT… I started to see things differently. But all of that was able to happen because my work was kind of on auto-pilot. I’m almost embarrassed to say that because anchoring isn’t easy. I’ve just done it for sooooo loooooong.
But then as I was listening to other people’s podcasts, it started to sink in…. OH YEAH – THIS IS HOW I DO THAT. My eyes were opened. That’s when I had the MOTIVATION to act on the inspiration. To bring full-length conversations that I was already having so more people could hear them.

It’s seems obvious now, but doing a podcast at the time was a completely new idea for me. And because I have the Work mastery on lock – I was like ‘hey, i can DO this!’

So… “openness to experiences” and “work mastery” are the first two main things that lay the groundwork for inspiration to happen.

Here are two more really important things:
-small accomplishments (which I totally get because getting positive reinforcement makes you want to keep going)
and
-Exposure to inspiring role models

With the small accomplishments – you know when you get a little positive reinforcement and you’re like “YEAH! I’LL DO MORE OF THAT!” Inspiration works that way, too. And those accomplishments inspire you to do more.

And this last one is so clear – when you hear a motivational speaker or an inspiring story from someone, you can be inspired. People can be such powerful generators of inspiration! We can inspire others with our story of how we overcame, or the choices we made in a tough patch of life.

In neuroscience, there’s this idea of people being “expanders.” Expanders are people who expand your awareness of what’s possible.
From the get-go I wanted AMPstigator to be a podcast of EXPANDERS so anyone who watched or listened could see what was possible in their own lives. Research shows us over and over again when we SEE somebody doing what we want to do, it suddenly becomes something we can do, too.

That’s an important factor in INSPIRATION, as well. When we’re inspired by someone, that person becomes one of the 4 sources of inspiration.

((extra))
And since I’m someone who’s just naturally “extra” … i’m gonna give you some extra, bonus wisdom i’ve been thinking about lately.

I believe there’s a 5th pre-cursor to inspiration. It’s the least quantifiable thing possible – but it connects you back to YOU.
I think what we crave has the potential to be our inspiration. All the time right now I’m craving time alone in nature - with the vast expanse of trees. Silence. Being alone where I only hear nature. I crave it all the time.

I don’t get out in nature all the time – but you know what happens when I get the silence I want – among the trees and the hills? I come up with so many ideas. It’s to the point that I go walking with a journal. It’s like the world around me is so loud that getting into the silence helps the ideas that are just below the surface start to bubble up.

We need to recognize the spaces and places that get us closer to inspiration. So, take time to notice what those situations are for you. What are you craving? Is it time with a person? Is it to dance? Creative movement has connections to that same inspiration. Maybe it’s PEOPLE who inspire you. Maybe it’s A CITY or certain art. Whatever you feel pulled to – craving – a lot! There’s something there.

So – research says there are 4 things. I’m adding my little bonus “5th thing” to the mix. What you crave will inspire.

(inspiration)
When you’re inspired, research shows you have more creativity, optimism, competence, self-esteem and – FLOW. I love that the researchers said “flow” was part of it. When someone is inspired, the level of work they can accomplish and churn out is staggering. It bears out in the research, too. It just flows out of them.

I’ve been hearing a lot of people talk about flow as it relates to ending the “hustle” mindset that goes along with creation. Usually people pair the word with “ease” – so you’ll experience “ease and flow” when you’re living an aligned life with what you’re meant to do. But again – it’s elusive. So, to have a scientific understanding of inspiration and to see that FLOW is a supported by-product of inspiration is just too cool.

Rudyard Kipling - he was a well-known journalist and writer at the turn of the century. He said "When your [soul] is in charge, do not try to think consciously. Drift, wait, and obey".

I love that – just “drift” or “Flow” with the ideas that come from the inspiration. Follow the inspiration because that’s going to lead you closer to fulfillment and ultimately purpose.

Earlier I mentioned the first reason why inspiration matters – because #1… this is where new concepts, thoughts AND products come from. Someone’s inspired, they have transcendent thought, then they act! They create something new!

Inspiration literally has the power to change societies. Create new technology… cures for diseases… and an entirely new way of thinking.

But the number 2 reason why inspiration matters is because when you act out of inspiration… your work has the potential to INSPIRE OTHERS and they go on to create something entirely new, too.

There’s no way to predict the onset of inspiration. It can’t be willed into happening. So, hopefully that takes some of the pressure off to make inspiration happen. But if you’re at some level of mastery and you open yourself up to new experiences, it’s bound to happen. As rudyard kipling said.. if we just drift, wait and obey… our chances of being inspired are much better!

Once you’re inspired, you can keep going back to what inspired you. Recall it. If it’s a video or picture, bring it up! Whatever it was, you can keep bringing it back into your memory to remind yourself why you’ve taken action.

So as a recap… there are three components of INSPIRATION…
-EVOCATION
-TRANSCENDENCE and
-MOTIVATION

Inspiration can also be active and passive.

And the things that lay the groundwork for more inspiration:
-OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCES
-WORK MASTERY
-SMALL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
-INSPIRING ROLE MODELS
And my bonus, ephemeral 5th element – what you’re craving has the power to inspire.

If you didn’t get the notes and you want them, shoot me an email. [email protected]

I think - more than anything right now, we need to remember that we have the power to cultivate our own personal evolution and -even revolution-. Tapping into what inspires is is a beautiful first step in that.

Ep. 22 Need Inspiration? Do these 4 things

Join Our Free Trial