One of our favorite things to do is to ask the folks we are inspired by what they are inspired by. We’ve shared some of their responses below.

Aspen Davis | CEO and Founder of The Lounge

I am inspired by the generations after me! I think it’s really important to pour positive reinforcement into them as they will hold the seats to some of our most important careers in America. We need to make sure we are in full support of them, especially our young black and brown!. Read more>>

Ian Steele | Audio Engineer, Artist, Music Manager, Musician, and Producer

Stories, fictional or not. Primarily experiences and the experiences that I can picture from stories told to me by others. It’s like reading a book of fiction, you sit there reading while your mind expands and immerses itself into a whole new universe. Living experiences was something I never had the opportunity to do much in my youth. I got to see friends and occasionally travel if my family could afford to do so. It just wasn’t in my cars, so what really inspires me is hearing the experiences others offer to tell so I can dive my mind into their life and see through their eyes. As I grow older, I am starting to get out there and experience things for myself which is just adding in such a positive way to the things that inspire me. It’s really fun to draw creativity from these stories, even if they’re as simple as a friend going out for the night, or staying in. Read more>>

Rajan Shankara | Cognitive Performance Specialist

I’m motivated by the constant need for chaos-transformation. As a mystic and performance coach, my life is designed to test what I previously thought real and valid. I am motivated by extremes, potential failure or success of my next project. We become truly happy when we learn that our life takes place at the intersection of danger and anomaly. Read more>>

Jake Cook | Musician and Aspiring Rock & Roll Star

I’m inspired by people. I’m inspired and fascinated by human behaviors and actions. I love the fact that we are all so complex and we all have different perspectives, dreams, and experiences. I’d like to think I’m somewhat of an optimist because i see the beauty and individuality in the human race, but I’m inspired by watching us try to figure it out!. Read more>>

Jacquelyn Zampella | Risk Architect and Insurance Innovator

I’m constantly inspired by how much good there is in the world. I think the news and mainstream media tend to focus on all that’s going wrong and how divided things and people are – however, the more I take a deeper look into my own community and interactions I have on the regular, I am consistently inspired by how amazing people are and how more often than not people are being the best they can. Read more>>

Serena Shaw | Acupuncturist, Herbalist & Massage Therapist

I am really inspired by gardening these days. Over the past three years gardening has really been an amazing outlet and therapy for me. What is more inspiring then watching something go from a raw dirt patch to a living breathing oasis that is teaming with life. It is so magical to eat something that you have grown from a small seed and nurtured it and watched it blossom. The garden is mirrored in so many aspects of my life, motherhood, personal relationships and my business. My garden teaches me patients and the rewards that follow that patients, It teaches me to experiment, to retry and be ok with disappointment and to acknowledge beauty. Actually, garden helps me feel closer to Chinese medicine. One of the tenants of TCM are looking at the body as a whole landscape and how it is interconnect with our environment. Read more>>

Ebony Nicole Sims | CEO of Presence Demanded

I am inspired by traveling. When I travel, I feel free to push boundaries and play with my looks. Different cultures inspire different aesthetics, which allows me to explore my creativity in fashion. I love going to new places because it brings out the best side of me and the ideas just come naturally to me. So, you’ll also see many references to travel in my marketing campaigns and stories behind my collections. Read more>>

Rachel Crosby | Visual Artist & Website Designer

As a black female artist living in America, I feel that it is important to provide imagery that represents the Black community in a way that encompasses positivity and relatability. What inspires me to create is the history, resilience and creativity that Black people hold within themselves. My current focus is building a body of work that captures the beauty of Black culture and explores the legacy of African American art and expression based on the experiences and truths of Black people. My goal is to tell stories, inspire new ideas, and challenge the way that people see the world through a perspective that is rooted in my own personal experiences as well as my understanding and connection with the experiences of others. Read more>>

Deedee Hampton | Multi faceted, Mixed Media Artist

Amulets & oddities, saints & sinners, miracles & magic, symbols & synchronicities inspire me. I am curious about exploring the mysteries of life and expressing my interest in them through my art work. Read more>>

Cross Rivera | Owner & Artist at 80 Generations LLC

My inspiration comes from many different places. My top of the list are my kids, they move me to take action of my ideas. My thought process is, if I can get famous enough, they will have a legacy left behind for them to capitalize on. Read more>>

Lisa Stokes Nicholas | President & Concerned Human Being

These days the inspiration is so strong it feels more like a calling. As we see what appears to be increasing polarization I feel called to stand with others to find a way to hear each other, to find ways to reach across all the divisions and ideology and politics that keep us from being effective. A quick example: there is a vast body of scientific evidence that we are on the precipice of climate change that will make the world uninhabitable for human beings. Some studies say the tipping point is in 9 years. Others give us a little longer. Yet we argue over the science, point fingers at others who we think should take responsibility, and within the environmental community argue over which organizational structures are the best and compete for donors and supporters. I can’t help but think we are arguing over how to arrange the deck chairs on the Titanic. And so entranced by our own stories and drama that we can’t see it. The call I feel is to find ways beyond this, to partner with our competitors or even our “enemies”, to find ways to hear each other, for the good of all. Read more>>