Inspiration: Nathan Sharp (NateWantsToBattle)

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Nathan Sharp or Give Heart Records. This post is purely my unsolicited thoughts and opinions as a fan. All videos are linked from Nathan Sharp's official YouTube channel, all credit for them belongs to him and others involved in their creation, and I recommend anybody interested go there or to his other official sites for more content or information.

Now that that's out of the way, onto the fun stuff!

I get a lot of questions about my inspiration and how I stay motivated to write so much. (Especially when I'm looking at 160,000+ word first drafts like Tide!) I won't lie, it's not easy. Any writer can tell you there are days where there is nothing they want to do less than write. Writer's block and burnout are always ready to hit you at the worst times, and when you work a day job like I do sometimes you're just too exhausted by time you get home to do anything but turn on Netflix. And that's when I turn to my inspiration, to get myself pumped for what I know I love to do more than anything else and for the story I know deserves to be told. So here's part one of a series of posts, I guess, to talk about some of things that help me do that. From music to art to books and more, I'll be throwing my favorites out to you guys, where to find them, and how they've helped me, all in the hopes that they'll tell you something about me and maybe help stir up a little inspiration in you, too.

Today we're talking about the fantastic and talented Nathan Sharp (who you may know better as NateWantsToBattle). And while, being the nerd I am, I cannot put into words how much I appreciate some of his Pokemon-themed stuff (and let's not even get into the pure art that is Blank Page), I'm going to focus on his original songs for this post. But if you're as much of a nerd as I am, head over to that side of his channel and enjoy.

I have to give a good friend of mine 100% credit on introducing me to this guy and his music. On about hour 4 of a 6-hour road trip she had the brilliant idea to turn on his latest album, Paid in Exposure, since she's a serious fangirl and I only vaguely knew of his existence from her babbling. I was pretty hooked somewhere around the third song.

And then she decided to play his cover of the theme of Yuri!!! On Ice (which, as some of you may know if you follow my cosplaying, is one of my obsessions). That is the point that I knew I needed this music in my life. Forever.

(Phantom is honestly just a mood, guys. I can't get enough of it.)

Not only is his music just downright awesome in general, it's been huge for my writing. Whether I need something to get me through a slow chapter or I'm having a rough day and those thoughts of whether all this work is worth it are creeping back, I can get lost in his energy and voice.

There's just something about the imagery and rawness in his songs that my characters and imagination respond to. I don't know if that rings true for anyone else, but I'm enjoying it.

Sandcastle Kingdoms is just one of several of his songs that's fueled the last few chapters of Tide, and I'm sure they'll carry on inspiring me through its sequel.

And if you know the struggle of chasing that dream that seems impossible or need to pull yourself back up from getting knocked down, few things have been more helpful for me lately than Live Long Enough to Become the Hero.

Check out Nathan Sharp's YouTube channel and website for more.

What music inspires you?