I think there are four main things to think about when writing inspirements:
#1 and most important--how can I help the students internalize the principle for the month using this lens? How can I help them feel it? explore it? sense it? experience it? deeply discover it? (Look to classics first, classics in all artistic genres: paintings, videography, poetry, literature, scripture, dance, etc.)
#2 how can I use the different steps of "know, understand, and become" to make this possible? Generally, I like to have the knowledge a common base for everyone to do and then open up the understand and become to personal discretion. However, I have seen it done different ways effectively so don't be afraid to follow your instinct with your group! Try it and then evaluate how effective it was.
#3 how can I create curiosity and interest through a variety of inspirements to meet the learning styles and missions of different youth? If you know some of the interests, passions, and missions of the youth in your group, you can write some inspirements thinking of them.
#4 How can I effectively incorporate "core" and "crust" skills? Often, for the different lenses there are different crust and core skills that go well with them (like in Marni's visual for it). To give the youth specific ideas that are unique to particular skills can sometimes expand their minds to different possibilities of how to approach a principle using that lens.
However, there is the wise caution from Karen's article on writing inspirements, that we should avoid overwhelming the youth with lists of inspirement ideas. Rotating through ideas in the different months will help them see the possibilities without overwhelming them.
Karen also mentioned how to write inspirements for the different levels of learning: apprentice, journeyman, master.
Check out her article here.
