When their work is going well, artists feel plugged into something. Something that produces an energy not there before. Call it vision, call it the muse, call it inspiration—I call it spirit.

Spirit, God, muse, angels, guides, entities—these words and concepts can turn people off. Some people will bristle just reading this. It’s as if these concepts have been hijacked by religious authorities and can’t be trusted anymore.

Awakening the spirit within is different. It is a deeply personal, one-on-one matter. This vital conversation between you and YOU should be kept private and protected from other people’s opinion, interpretation, invalidation, or alteration.

When I’m teaching actors, I refer to this energy exchange as impulse or intuition because I realize the concept of spirit-inspired art can be uncomfortable for some.

But I challenge any artist to look at the four o’clock light streaming through a grove of redwoods, listen to the sound of water cascading over rocks, get drunk on the cherry blossoms in Central Park, eat a perfect peach, or dance under the northern lights on an island in Maine—I challenge them to inhale the wonder of nature and not feel uplifted by the spirit that is life.

It is this same feeling of awe that inspires all artists to express themselves in their own unique way.

When we take the time to observe and be affected by the power of nature, something moves in us. Something exciting. Something familiar. Like the best of us—like home.

Artists live to create. They will tell you creating is their greatest joy. They will talk about the elation they experience when realizing an inspired work of art. It is the same euphoria we feel when we find ourselves overcome with gratitude, loving another with all our heart, or even wide awake in the present moment.

It’s all the same source. The very thing that unites us all. And when we seek out that sense of enthusiasm, it becomes possible to take charge and curate our lives from a more artful perspective.

To connect to this power within is to feel whole—in one deep breath, to realize we are complete. To connect to the spirit within is to realize you have, have always had, and will always have indisputable inner guidance.

There is a sleeping giant available to anyone who wishes to co-create with their higher self—either an acting role, a painting, or the life of their dreams. Getting to know the spirit within is the most personal things we do. To connect to this creative force is to never feel lonely again.

Here’s a fun way to feel at one with something greater than yourself. Stretch out on your bed, close your eyes, and consider this:

You are lying on a bed

In a room

In a city

On a planet

Which is spinning around at 1,000 miles per hour

While flying around the sun at 66,000 miles per hour

As our solar system circles the Milky Way at 450,000 miles per hour

And you are but one of more than seven billion human souls speeding through the cosmos

While seven other planets—also spinning, also revolving around the sun

Create exactly the right amount of gravity to keep the Earth in a stable orbit

And you snug in your bed

There we are! All of us whirling through the galaxy at an unimaginable speed—in perfect balance. Once you wake up to that, you’ve made a great start in appreciating the vastness of the spirit within. You’ve found wonder in what just a moment ago seemed ordinary and mundane.

Just as a benevolent force keeps the planets spinning in perfect order, the very same force keeps us on track as well. The moment you realize you can tune into that force is the moment you understand: YOU are that force, and you’re designed to create a life you desire by listening to your heart.

Coming to this understanding is like opening a long-lost letter from your higher self. Coming into this power is our destiny.