Stop and Be Like the Roses.
Growing up next to a farm in rural Southern Indiana, the opportunities to experience beautiful sunsets, misty morning pastures, and black nights filled with lightning bugs were frequent. The landscape inspired creativity on a daily basis. I thought city kids were missing out; what did they do to get their fill of nature? Then, I remembered trips to the big cities: Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Atlanta, and Louisville. Parks, monuments, street performers and the multitude of sounds made me realize inspiration can be found most anywhere, rural OR urban environments.
As an adult I now believe that good weather has played a huge part in creating inspiration. Vivid memories accentuated by good weather make me long for the location where they were created. For instance, I’ve stared out the back porch of Mom and Dad’s house a million times, but I can’t forget the afternoon that made me want to pick up a brush and paint. That day, the weather was perfect; the sky looked like rainbow sherbet, the autumn leaves absorbed the equally colorful Hoosier sunset, and just the slightest wind made the tops of the trees sway...slightly. I felt like I was standing in a watercolor painting, not a heavy oil painting, a gently applied wash of color. T-shirt, jeans and bare feet allowed just the right balance of body temperature and outside temperature.
Whether it was a welcomed evening thunderstorm near the farm or walking the Chicago streets on perfectly clear and cool morning, there are involuntarily introspective chunks of time where I can’t help but feel creative. Perhaps good weather frees my brain from trying to adhere to fleeting goals or controlling what can’t be controlled. Maybe my being recognizes the beauty of being a creation within Creation.
I hope you have many of these kinda days this Fall.
-Corey Wilkinson, Wilkinson Brothers, Inc. |
That’s the case for us here in the Midwest anyway. We love it. Leaves become colorful, temps start to drop and there’s a cool, crisp comfort in the air. It’s a time when inspiration seems to come more naturally than searching for it in the dog days of summer. For us, Fall rates right up there with snowed-in mornings that turn into fun, non-billable days. :) 
