Everyone experiences a phase where their creative spark seems to dim a little. Something also known as a creative block. If you'd like to take a  quick dip in the knowledge pool and wet your toes with some fun facts on the MIA concept and how it can help you overcome creative blocks. Then, I invite you to take a quick dive into this blog.

What does MIA stand for?

MIA is the abbreviation for Motivation - Inspiration - Action. 

• Motivation refers to the driving force or reasons behind our actions and behaviors. It can be intrinsic (internal) or extrinsic (external); intrinsic motivation comes from personal desires, interests, and values, while extrinsic motivation arises from external rewards or consequences. Motivation provides the initial energy and direction needed to set goals and embark on a specific course of action.

•  Inspiration is a feeling or state of being mentally stimulated to do something creative, meaningful, or purposeful. It often arises from external sources, such as witnessing the achievements or actions of others, experiencing art, nature, or profound moments. Inspiration can catalyze motivation. When you are inspired by someone or something, it can trigger a strong sense of motivation to take action and pursue similar goals or aspirations. 

• Action involves the tangible steps and behaviors taken to achieve a goal or bring a vision into reality. While motivation and inspiration provide the initial impetus, action is where the rubber meets the road. It's the practical implementation of intentions. Taking action is essential for making progress, turning dreams into reality, and achieving desired outcomes. 

Previously, motivation set the stage by providing the "why" behind your actions; inspiration added a sense of purpose and drive, and action was the practical manifestation of your intentions. This meant that once you had the "why" behind anything you did, your motivation was in motion, leading to inspiration and being mentally stimulated to create something, which in turn gave you a push to take action towards that goal you were motivated to achieve. However, people believed that when motivation was lost, there would be no action. That's where the MIA concept changed things.

What Does the MIA Concept Propose?

These three elements often work cyclically. Motivation leads to action, action can generate further motivation and inspiration, and inspiration can renew and strengthen motivation to continue taking action. Together, they form a dynamic process. The fact that they are cyclically shows that when motivation is lost, action can regenerate it.

The Writer

Say a writer hasn't had a visit from his muse in a while, and now he is in the middle of a novel and doesn't know where to take the story from there. He lost his inspiration, followed by the motivation to take the action of writing. One day the writer decides instead of waiting for inspiration, he'll just take action. 

He decides I'll wake up early every day and go for a walk. Try to catch a breath of fresh air. The intention behind his action was simple. He wanted to cheer himself up, nothing more. To his surprise, the more walks he went on, the more motivated he was to keep going on these walks. One day, while walking, a rekindled spark of inspiration gave him an idea that seemed like a nice plot twist. The plot twist encouraged him to continue writing the novel.

MIA doesn't just apply to creatives and removing creative blocks like in the previous examples. It applies to almost anything in our life. The universe is continually expanding, which means motion is the way forward. While being motivated and inspired are a refreshing booster and may help a lot with achieving goals. They are just a bonus from the universe to those who set things in motion by taking action. So, the next time you find yourself in a slump and feeling demotivated, and you're waiting for the "why," remember - all you have to do is take action, and the "why" will answer itself later.