Before I start, let me answer your first question: why might you be interested to hear where my inspiration comes from? Well, quite simply, my inspirees might inspire you too. Here are some people who have inspired me at various stages in my life and who have helped me build my values, my passions and my dreams.
Freddie Mercury
I grew up listening to Freddie Mercury and Queen and watching Freddie perform with all that energy and charisma inspired me to want to do something musical with my life.
Freddie said: “I love the fact that I can make people happy, in any form. Even if it’s just an hour of their lives, if I can make them feel lucky or make them feel good, or bring a smile to a sour face, that to me is worthwhile.”
Tim Minchin
I love his bluntness and the way he speaks out about his beliefs. And he’s not only a good man, he shares his message in a hilarious, and sometimes musical, way.
Tim said: “We have tendency to define ourselves in opposition to stuff. But try to also express your passion for things you love. Be demonstrative and generous in your praise of those you admire. Send thank-you cards and give standing ovations. Be pro-stuff, not just anti-stuff.”
“To dream of the person you would like to be is to waste the person you are.”
Madonna
Madonna is another of my musical inspirees and I grew up listening to her music too. She’s a strong woman with courage and passion and goals, and she never lets other people’s opinions get in her way.
Madonna said: “I stand for freedom of expression, doing what you believe in, and going after your dreams.”
“I am my own experiment. I am my own work of art.”
Albert Einstein
As well as music, I love science, and I love what Einstein has to say on intelligence and creativity. He was a normal guy growing up who struggled in school, but look at what he achieved in his life!
Einstein said: “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”
“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.”
J K Rowling
She has imagined and shared a magical world which has brought pleasure to so many readers across the world. She did this while suffering poverty, single motherhood and having recently gone through a failed relationship. Yet, did she allow this to prevent her from achieving her goals?
J K Rowling said: “It is our choices…that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”
“We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already.”
Mma Ramotswe (yes, she’s fictional but I adore her).
The creation of genius author Alexander McCall Smith, Mma Ramotswe is a kind, fair, just and strong woman. She sometimes has traditional views but her wisdom and huge heart are an inspiration.
Mma Ramotswe said: “We are all tempted, Mma. We are all tempted when it comes to cake.”
“Simple questions – and simple answers – were what we needed in life.”
“He will be a small man inside. He will feel small and unimportant. That is why he needs to put ladies down, Mma. Men who are big inside never feel the need to do that.”
I hope you feel inspired by these incredible individuals and I hope you share some of my passions and values. But at the end of the day, life would be boring if we were all the same!
