Inspiration Arbitrage is the art of drawing inspiration from masters in other fields to raise your game in your own field.

Note: “Inspiration Arbitrage” is a term I coined a while ago. The good thing about coining a new term is that you can make up your own meanings 🙂

Because of my varied interests that span left (writing, creative projects, teaching) and right (startups) brain worlds, I get an opportunity to meet professionals from various field creating their masterpieces.

Speakers giving speeches that move people take massive action.

Artists mesmerizing with their creations.

Teachers changing the worldviews of their students on a topic – in a matter of one session.

I can go on and on.

When I meet and watch these masters in action, it is hard to not get inspired. In my case, I immediately capitalize on the “inspiration arbitrage” to see what can I do to raise the game in the startups I am involved with. What can I do to raise my writing game that in turn boosts my personal brand ultimately helping me to raise the startup game.

It’s all connected.

Today at the NAVIKA2015 conference, I witnessed a master Dr. B.K.S.Varma on the stage. Dr. Varma specializes in painting pictures using a thread right in front of a live audience. Today, we celebrate a festival called Krishna Janmashtami, so the theme of the painting was Lord Krishna.

Here are some snapshots of Dr. Varma painting Krishna live:

Photo #1

Photo #2

Photo #3

Photo #4

Photo #5

All this happened in a matter of minutes.

Inspiration is an understatement to see a master creating a masterpiece live on the stage.

The goal for me is to see how to bring over the inspiration from the event and infuse that into one or more of the projects I am involved with.

I have a few approaches for doing just that.

I will share one of them here – start telling a story like this to as many people I can.

Why?

Two reasons:

1. It is a story worth telling.

2. This is more of a selfish reason – whenever I share such a story, I get to relive the experience bringing me back into a mood where I am inspired back again to raise the game on my projects.

A simple technique like the one I outlined above boosts my productivity by leaps and bounds.

I urge you to try it out for yourself and you will be glad you did.