Contributed by Nicholine Akou

Writing has always been my heart desire since childhood but what to write about became a major issue after I gained some writing skills. Most often, I even get stuck along the line not knowing how to develop the ideas I had in mind. However, I finally figured out that a lot of things around me could inspire me accomplish my task easily.

 Myself:

The very first thing that inspires me is myself. When I thought of my abilities and past experiences, I discovered a hundred things I could write about so, I started adding what could make sense to other people.

Family:

This is another vital source where my inspiration comes from.  For the love, support, trust, acceptance, honesty, protection, compromise, gratitude, respect and loyalty that my family has shown me, gives me the sense of being and directs my focus in life which eventually persuades me to write.

Reading and watching videos:

Most often, I read books written by different authors, read writings by bloggers on social media, paying attention to issues that are related to humanity and at the end, I find something to write about. Steven Aitchison’s quote, “Your words have the power to hurt, heal, open minds, open hearts and change the world. Never forget the responsibility you have over the words you speak” inspired me a lot when I came across it. There are also days I just decide to watch movies of different categories and end up drawing some inspiration from them.

Children:

This is the greatest source that I cherish. Children as innocent as they are, have the best opinion and solution to so many things. Playing with them and asking them questions gives you the opportunity to tackle so many life issues. Owing to the fact that children come from different backgrounds and their experiences are not the same, gives you diverse ways of thinking about the world. While writing at times, I orientate my mind to think as innocently as a kid and it added more esthetics to my writings.

Yoga:

When I reach a point where nothing seems to be going, I do yoga. Doing yoga helps me to release stress and makes me feel better especially when I reach the point of meditation. Going in to deep thought, visiting nature and emotions opens my mind and gives me great inspiration.

There are so many things that inspire me daily, but the few mentioned above, are my walking shoes.

                                                                               Edited by Emiliene Alemkeng