A City That Inspires Me

I am inspired the minute I step out my front door. Skyscrapers, yellow cabs, graffiti, and flashing lights are all part of my backdrop. It is difficult to not be inspired in a place like New York City. Whether I ride the subway and admire the diversity of New Yorkers or I sit in Central Park and watch the pigeons dance, I am constantly surrounded by beauty and creativity. 

New York City has a pulse. If you are able to tap into that energy you too will be inspired. For a writer, the city is the most amazing place to create. I always take my journal with me because I inevitably feel inspired to write. The people I see, the places I go, and the experiences I have become my stories. The inspiration that comes from being in the city definitely influences my writing style. It's beautiful. It's ugly. It's real. My writing style is simply a reflection of what I see and feel. Therefore, it's almost impossible for me to feel writer's block. The only time I feel a block is when the story is too profound for words. My mission is simply for my words to do the real life story justice. 

To exemplify my creative inspiration, I would like to share an entry from my personal blog that I wrote after riding the Manhattan subway. 

Be the Change You Want to See in the World

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” ~ Gandhi

I have a story playing over and over in my head. I saw something that I will never forget. It quite possibly has changed my life forever.

But before I explain, I should probably tell you a little bit more of what I have been up to. I moved to New York in early June. I am going back to school full-time in September for Mind-Body Wellness and I am also a full-time nanny. I live with my lifelong friends, Tammy and Keith, and watch over their amazing son Elijah, who is eight months old.

It’s funny how life works…I openly admit that I used to have an adverse reaction to children and often wondered if I ever wanted any of my own. But then along came my niece MacKenna. I quickly realized how amazing children are and how quickly I could fall in love with a young soul. And with all her trials and tribulations in the recent year or so, she continues to amaze me.

When I moved back from New Zealand and moved to Park City, I quickly realized that my ski bum job was not going to pay the bills. In turn, I started working for Park City Sitters. During the short winter season, I babysat for close to 40 different families and started to realize that I was actually pretty good with kids. Then along came the opportunity to help raise Eli, and I thought why not move to New York City and take my courses from there?!

So rewind to the month of June…I was taking the subway in Manhattan to meet up with some friends. The doors opened and on stepped a mother with her son in the baby bjorn. Being a nanny, it grabbed my attention because I seem to be drawn to babies. At first glance all seemed normal. But once the doors shut, the woman pulled out a cardboard sign and started to make her way through the subway car. She was in her late thirties, her clothes soiled and her face very tired.

Her sign read, “Speak very little English. Homeless. Need money to feed my baby. God Bless.”

She passed by me and I saw that her son was not much older than Eli. He stared at me with his big brown eyes, they were tired too, but they still sparkled. He giggled and smiled to reveal his baby teeth. And then, I realized his caramel colored face was covered with infected sores. My heart broke. I reached into my purse and pulled out the little money I had. She nodded and smiled. When the train came to a stop she stepped off and onto the next car.

Panhandlers are a common occurrence on the subway. One can easily become desensitized to them, but not when you see a small child suffering in such a way. My pocket change was only a small way to help.

It makes you realize how lucky you are. Eli is lucky to have amazing parents and he never wants for anything. He has clothes, food, shelter and love. We are blessed.

It also reminds me that I want to “be the change I want to see in the world.”  Perhaps there’s a purpose for me changing careers, being a nanny and seeing that baby on the train. Other than my small donation, there isn’t anything I can do to help him now, but he has changed my life forever and maybe I am on a path to help others. 

The Story of a #2 Pencil

Hi, my name is #2. I am a pencil. My exterior is bright yellow and my color reflects my personality. When I am placed in the hand of a human, I am full of creative ideas, numerical equations and answers to many questions. I become one with my owner, Amy, and words easily flow on to the paper. She loves to journal and years ago we would spend hours together writing beautiful poems, song lyrics and short stories. I am a flexible tool and my words are not permanent. If she didn’t like what we wrote, she could easily use my dependable eraser and wipe away the words.

As I mentioned, I do very little writing lately and I sit patiently in the cup on her desk. Every time she sits down, I start to fill with excitement because I think that this will be the moment when we reunite and start to write. However, over the years she has started to do her writing with Bic.

He is a nice enough pen, but I have to admit that I am a little jealous of him. He is made of shiny clear plastic and has a really special black cap that he wears. I have my eraser, but it is worn out from use over the years. He is also so much taller than me because I have shrunk over time due to sharpening. I think I may spend the rest of my days just sitting in this cup. I am no longer useful and just don’t compare to Bic.

Amy sat down at her desk earlier today to write. As she was reaching for Bic, I saw that she paused for a moment and then changed the direction of her reach. Before I knew it, I was being lifted out of the cup and carefully placed in her right hand. I was filled with joy and just when I didn’t think it could get any better, Amy started to speak to me.

“Boy, have I missed you old friend. We have written so many beautiful things together and you inspire me. There is just something about holding a #2 Pencil in your hand. It feels so natural and it makes me excited to write. I definitely prefer using a pencil over a pen when I am writing. So, let’s get to this…let’s write together once again.”

I think that today’s writing session was one of the best ones that I can remember. Amy and I worked as a team and put some beautiful ideas down on paper. She made me feel useful, special and unique. It made me realize that I shouldn’t compare myself to Bic because I have something special to offer too.

Biography

Amy Carrier is a Mind-Body Wellness Student with current certifications in Hypnotherapy and Life Coaching. She is currently earning her degree at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in Phoenix, Arizona. She also has a BA in Marketing Communications and a Minor in Speech Communications from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

Amy is committed to guiding her clients to a balanced life, optimum health and a higher level of consciousness. Using the modalities of Life Coaching, Hypnotherapy and Holistic Nutrition, she encourages individuals to connect with their intuition and empowers her clients to reach their personal and professional goals. Amy's practice is spiritually minded and specializes in Past Life Regression. 

Through the process of inquiry, she allows people to gain clarity and find solutions to their challenges. Amy believes the answers are within the client and empowers them to develop actions steps to help them achieve their goals. Amy's mission is to uncover her clients' natural gifts and the beautiful light that shines in us all.