Well Inspired is a bi-weekly newsletter designed to spark curiosity and reignite inspiration for creatives. Thank you for being here — I hope you’ll consider sharing this with the world beyond. Now for the fun part…
✨ DO: The bright sunshine and flowers of summer are starting to wane, so let’s spend a few serene moments creating pressed flower lanterns. The process is simple — a soothing reminder that creating pretty things isn’t always difficult.
✨ LISTEN OR WATCH: If you’re a curious soul who loves food and wants to know where everything comes from, you’ll love “The Big Apple Episode” from Gastropod. It’s jam-packed with the history, science, and cultural importance of – of all things – apples.
✨ READ: Speaking of summer flowers, nurture your inner, earthy gardener with these stunning photographs and the story behind one grower’s flower fields. This garden touches something in my soul, especially since I’ve had a desire to start my own recently. I’d also love to come across an amazing “honesty shed” like this one on a casual walk...
✨ BUY: If you love Bridgerton and long for a simpler time, The Flower Letters subscription is perfect for you. Every month, you receive two beautifully illustrated letters in the mail that weave a story of love, adventure, and intrigue between two characters. There are a few options and historical periods to choose from — the adventure is yours.
On Overflow…
Over the years, I’ve discovered I will run myself dry just to jot a few words on a page.
That was one of the – if not the – biggest creative hurdles I faced fresh out of college. Every day, I dragged myself out of bed, drove through an hour of traffic to the office, and wrote (boring!) content all day. When I came home, I sat down for another writing session; this time, “for myself.”
The words, though few, came because I forced them through gritted teeth and self-guilt. Were they good? No. But they were words and I had always heard writers say to treat novel writing like your job, and one day it will be.
I desperately wanted it to be my job, so I resigned myself to this routine.
Ugh.
Thank goodness that’s not the case anymore. Now, my words are better than before and it doesn’t feel like wading through mud anymore. It’s not always easy, but it’s usually pleasant.
So what changed?
First off, I quit the self-guilt trips. Hot take: You don’t have to write (or whatever your creative equivalent is) every single day for it to mean something. Just show up more than once, whatever that means to you.
Second and most importantly, I started realizing why every writing session made me want to bash my head against the keyboard and cry:
I was empty. My creative well was totally drained. I had nothing to give but was still trying to scrape words out.
While this might seem fairly obvious now, it took me years to figure out what was happening.
Right around then, I changed jobs. I started traveling more. I filled my bookshelves and challenged myself to read. I found writer friends online and chatted about nerdy things that excited me like symbolism and characterization. I began to see beauty in the world around me again.
Too often, we pick up our pens, brushes, notebooks, and whatever else and make ourselves create. When it doesn’t work out, we get frustrated. We tell ourselves this is the way it has to be — even if that’s not true.
All that produces is guilt and struggle. Sometimes, we can even forfeit our dreams because we’re so tired of it.
You can’t give what you don’t have, and that’s what art is — giving part of yourself away.
Lay off the self-guilt and commit to pursuing inspiration instead. Consume something your soul finds beautiful. Gulp it down like water and feel the magic return — because you’ve received something you need.
You have a say in how inspired you feel. Choose to operate from a place of overflow and abundance.
Offer something to the world you already have in spades… not because it’s all you can afford. That’s how you will make something that touches someone else’s soul.
One last thing: I think a common misconception is that inspiration takes a lot of money and time to travel, buy new things, and do whatever you want, whenever you want. I disagree.
Inspiring yourself is about being intentional with small moments of time to invest in your creative well.
It’s about nurturing a soul connection to the beauty of this world bit by bit. This little newsletter just aims to give you a gentle nudge.
Now go create something amazing,
Ashton
Inspiration Prompt: Share something your soul found beautiful this week.
I’ll go first: It rained for the first time in a long time recently. I loved how the earth smelled and the peaceful trails of condensation left on my window.
What’s yours? I’d love to know.
If you enjoyed this post, it would mean the world if you shared or restacked it. It could help someone else find our Well Inspired community <3
Inspiring words, Ashton, thank you.
Love the words about the rain.
I have found peace in the cleanliness of my apartment today. We've just cleaned it and it always give me such a pleasant sense of stillness and calm. Although not directly beautiful, the peace it gives me feels so.
Oh.. "art is giving part of yourself away". So true, such an offering and an equal receival. X