Inspiration: Finding Light in the Dark

Amidst a global pandemic, AWARD School student Liam Ratliff, struggles to find inspiration within the confines of his bedroom walls.

Sleep paralysis, but it’s Brief 6 standing at the end of my bed. It’s telling me that it’s time for a career change. I wake up and make a coffee. Double shot. Within minutes, I’m as wired as Tony Montana’s pet cat.

The first thing I do when I get a brief is ceremoniously headbutt the nearest wall five times. Next, I like to research. Scouring Reddit streams and the comments sections of YouTube usually gets the ball rolling.

Not today though, every time I gain momentum, my mind seems to drift completely off topic. FFS, I’ve ended up on a North Korean TV stream again.

It’s time to unwind. I listen to some Four Tet in my room, lights off. My Tibetan singing bowl gives me a strange look from across the room. I pick it up and begin to caress its edge with the precision of a demi-god, this isn’t my first rodeo.

Before long, the bowl reaches a crescendo. I take a deep breath in and place it on the ground. The sound progressively fades into a deafening silence…Boom! An idea hits me.

Now standing in the bathroom, face to face with my reflection, one burning question remains, possibly bigger than all those before it, only time will tell.