Insight shows up when we pay attention and use our intuition to see what's really going on. It's listening with our heart and seeing with our soul. It's gaining a deeper understanding by looking deeper than the surface.
Research is a key requirement for gaining insight. And insight is a key requirement for the pursuit of excellence. Whether you've been inspired to cook in a specific ethnic flavor, write a biography, volunteer with a charity or live a healthier lifestyle, knowledge of your subject is essential. A painter of wildlife studies animal anatomy. A historical fiction writer reads up on the time period their novel will cover. An interviewer gets to know as much as possible about the person she's interviewing beforehand, along with related subject matter. This is elemental.
But insight is more than knowledge. It is a passion that sets your work - the painting, the book, the relationship, the project - apart from the rest. Passion ignites deeper thought about how our actions will stir others. How will our painting move the viewer? How will our investment into the relationship affect the other? How will our composition stir the hearts of the audience? We take ownership not only of the project, but of its effects. Insight gives us a unique perspective on our subject - and turns our deeper ruminations into specific actions.
All our best intentions, however, are nothing without a third element, diligence.
Only when inspired to go beyond consciousness by some extraordinary insight does beauty manifest unexpectedly. Arthur Erickson
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