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Maybe you’re stuck. You’ve been looking for inspiration to help you make a decision or to help you determine your future, but nothing is coming. Maybe you’re having trouble picking a career. Or maybe you’re like me, and you’re having trouble writing your college essays. A lack of inspiration can make times such as these quite stressful and frustrating. More often than not, though, the answer is right in front of you in your favorite movies, TV shows, and songs.
Finding Inspiration From Movies/TV Shows
Think of the last movie or TV show that you just could not put aside. I am guessing that you fell so deep into the story that it was as though you were there experiencing everything alongside the main characters. Watching Outer Banks, I personally cried over JJ’s hot tub scene in episode seven because of how emotionally connected I felt to his character.
Maybe you were instead so fascinated by a certain concept discussed in the movie or show that you spent every spare second you had researching that topic. After learning about the multiverse from The Flash, I spent weeks researching the theory, its implications and the possibility of it being true.
In either case, there was something that resonated with you so deeply that it consumed much of your spare time, much like Outer Banks and Flash consumed mine. Most likely, that something was relevant to your life, your goals, or just you in general. Thus, when you need inspiration, look to your favorite movies and shows. They might just hold the thing for which you’ve been looking.
Character Inspiration
Let’s say you are trying to figure out what you want to do with your life. You want to figure out what college you should attend, what subject you should study, and what career you want to pursue. In order to do so, you should probably understand the type of person you want to be, which is likely hidden in your favorite movie/TV characters.
As of recently, Legally Blonde‘s Elle Woods and The Office‘s Dwight Schrute are my favorite fictional characters. Though they are two very different characters, they share something in common: they both possess qualities of the type of person I want to be.
I want Elle’s confidence to wear a fully pink suit in court; she is unafraid to be herself and wear what she wants to wear. I want the determination to get her a near-perfect LSAT score and a spot at Harvard Law School. And most of all, I want her ever-present sense of worth. Though most people look at her as a girl who could never succeed at Harvard, she proves them wrong, landing a prestigious internship and winning an actual court case. Moreover, when it’s implied that she can get a summer internship by sleeping with her professor, she turns it down, knowing she is worth more than that.
Dwight Schrute is similar, in the sense that he is unapologetically himself. Most notably, he is certainly one of the office’s oddballs, which is one of the things that adds to his charm; for example, he fights himself in front of everyone because he is his only worthy opponent. In every episode, Dwight, without fail, behaves improperly in daily situations, misses social cues, and behaves unexpectedly. Maybe he is that way because he is unaware of how he is perceived, or maybe he simply doesn’t care. Either way, he admirably puts forth his most authentic self.
Elle Woods and Dwight Schrute may not be perfect people, but they have qualities that I want to hold on to/emulate. Therefore, when trying to figure out how to choose a college, I look for the places where I’ll be able to continue growing my confidence, continue exercising my determination and pursuit of my dreams, and continue learning how to unapologetically be myself. Who is your Elle Woods or Dwight Schrute?
Desired Experiences
Perhaps, though, it’s not the personality or qualities of characters on which you latch, but rather their experiences. For example, maybe you watch Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and love the fact that Donna travels the world and sees its wonders. If you love that, why not make it your reality? Pursue something that would let you travel the world! Become a journalist, go on service trips, study abroad.
You might also watch The Man Who Knew Infinity and fall in love with the story of the mathematician Ramanujan. Among many other feats, Ramanujan produced mathematical theories that are being used to study black holes. If the idea of your work being used to answer questions about our universe excites you, then maybe you should study math or science.
The point is, if there is some experience or story from a movie or show that excites you, it could be a good indication of the types of experiences you want to have in your own life. If you need inspiration for what to pursue in college and beyond, start with your movies and shows. It can be very helpful for a starting place if nothing else.
Finding Inspiration From Songs
If looking to the future for inspiration is not helping you, look for it in the present and in the past. Maybe you are like me, and you need to write a personal statement, but you are having trouble really getting in touch with yourself and figuring out what you can say that would most authentically be you. In order to do so, you can either get in touch with prominent emotions in your life or find memories that truly represent you. Music can help you with both of these things.
Inspiration From Emotions
Music is particularly beautiful in the sense that it can express emotions in a way that words cannot. It relates to people on a deeper level, lifting their moods or worsening them, and it touches people’s hearts. All this to say, the type of music a person listens to can often say a lot about the person.
Look at your playlist(s). I’ve got two: my summer playlist (which I listen to throughout the entire year) and my “Avery” playlist which has everything from Disney to country to rap to EDM. Though it might not seem like much to go off of, these two playlists say a lot about me. First, I enjoy adventure and excitement. The upbeat, energetic, happy songs on my summer playlist say as much. Second, the wide variety of songs on my second playlist tells you that I’m the type of person who enjoys exploring a range of interests, as opposed to sticking to one. A playlist can tell you a lot about yourself. Maybe that’s your inspiration.
Resurfaced Memories
In addition, music brings back memories. Perhaps those are positive memories of winning a basketball game as a kid and hearing a certain song at a celebratory Dairy Queen trip. They might instead be negative memories of your best friend moving away after having introduced you to one of her favorite songs. Either way, songs can uncover hidden moments from your past. If you are writing a personal essay, maybe throw on a throwback playlist and see what you remember. You might just find the inspiration you need.
Moral Of The Story
There are going to be times when you lose your inspiration. Maybe you’ve hit a writer’s block just before your paper is due or you’re having trouble choosing a career or you’re trying to figure out what experiences you want to have. Whatever it is, next time it happens, look to your favorite movies, shows, and songs because your interests are a reflection of you, your hopes, and your dreams.
