Some Of My Sources Of Inspiration

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I have drawn on so many sources of inspiration throughout my life, but for the purposes of this blog, I would like to talk about Four Amazing Springs which have nurtured my creativity for decades: Natural Beauty, Gloriously Powerful Music, Courageous Biblical Characters and Stand-Out Bible Verses.

There have been multiple special occasions in my life where I have been totally in awe of the richness and variety of God’s creation, but I am excited to share with you four scenes that have made an indelible impression on my memory.

The first is a multi-coloured sunset image in Southern Portugal at a seaside resort. Of all the striking sunsets I have seen over the years, I have never seen such a stunning mix of colours: a rich array of purples, pinks, reds, oranges mixing, merging and mingling across the great arch of the sky and reflecting their brightness on the glowing ocean – a scene made for spiritual reflection and inviting a host of uplifting thoughts.

Then, decades ago, the first time I travelled to Europe with my parents, they took me on a trip to the Norwegian fjords. I shall never forget the brilliant white glacier, complete with lateral and medial moraine that shimmered in the sunlight... I became a Geography and English teacher a few years later.

And closer to home, as soon as I arrive back from a trip away, and I'm being transported into the Mother City, how can I not be inspired by the iconic shape and colour of stunning Table Mountain, one of the acclaimed natural wonders of the modern world. I feel that Table Mountain, the backdrop to the city and many of Cape Town’s suburbs, should be announced with striking music like the opening chords of Beethoven’s fifth symphony. We have a wonderful orchestra in Cape Town, a special dance company, Cape Town City ballet and our opera company has bred many famous international stars like Pretty Yende. While it was hard being cut off from culture during Covid years, it makes me appreciate all the opportunities that Cape Town offers for rich cultural experiences even more.

I admire immensely courageous biblical characters like Stephen, who continue to spread God’s word despite opposition even to death. What an inspirational martyr Stephen is. Even when his enemies were stoning him, he asked God not to count their evil deeds against them.

Lastly, there are those bible verses that stand out in my memory, and that have provided me with endless hours of inspiration, comfort and joy. I will quote one of my favourites which I am sure is familiar to many of you:

My son was shouting out that verse to fellow struggling Comrades Marathon runners as they pushed on towards the finish line in his first ever Comrades Ultra-Marathon 90 kilometer race from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. I was wondering how many thousands, even millions of people, that verse has inspired through the centuries.

It was in fact verses from the Psalms that inspired me to write my short story anthology for young teens, Tapestries. In this book, each story was inspired by a particular verse from the Psalms. For example, in the story, Wide Awake and Watchful, a fierce, raging fire on the very edge of some houses is averted at the very last minute by a change in the wind direction. The verse, "The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand;" (Psalm 121,v.5) is quoted at the end of the story.

Then in the story, Xola’s Shield in the same anthology, two boys who are kicking a ball around are saved in the nick of time from touching an illegal electricity connection which might have resulted in their deaths. The verse on which this story is based is: "But you are a shield around me, O Lord;" (Psalm 3, v.3)

In conclusion, nature, music and the bible have been rich sources of inspiration for me in both my life and my writing.