Afflatus

Divine inspiration.

I was casually studying for the GRE and found a book of big words with a cover that appealed to my sense of graphic design. I thumbed the pages and delighted in how many words I actually knew; then I read the chapter heading, "words you probably know." It was followed with other chapters of varying interest and difficulty...I was hooked.

I have been writing monologues inspired by words that don't exist, and there's a satisfaction that comes from finding something that is yet unnamed. What I didn't expect was just how satisfying coming across new and existing words could be. Going through this book, I rolled the definitions of words around in my head, and some of them are truly captivating.

That's when I came across the word, "Afflatus."

The root of the word is 'afflare' which means, "to blow upon." The idea was that, for an artist, writer, scientist, poet, or anyone really, there's that moment when you are seized with inspiration so profound, that it must be divinely attributed; the brush of an angel's wings.

It reminds me of how, in ancient Greece, muses inspired artists; true creative impulse came from without. Then, as the gods waned, and celebrity took over, the curious origin of creative impulse was buried in the psyche of the artist.

I have taken to this word so much, because I love the idea that profound inspiration might be a spiritual experience. I don't subscribe to any faith, but I find that allowing a spiritual component in my creative endeavors is generally advantageous.

I stood in the bookstore with my new prize in hand. The pages fanned close and the sweet smell of a new book brushed my face. "I should make a note of all words I find beautiful and inspiring. List them, (in a blog?), and allow them to guide me towards something creative, profound. Catalogue them like treasured recipes."

So that's where I am now. My excitement about the definitions of beautiful words might not tell me where this will lead, but afflatus isn't concerned with outcomes, just inspiration.