Looking for inspiration? Just look up.

That's what tens of thousands of members of the Cloud Appreciation Society are encouraging us to do in our everyday lives.

What we really appreciate about this story is their mission statement: We pledge to fight ‘blue-sky thinking’ wherever we find it”. They insist that when you’re able to be present and really notice what’s around you, you can find beauty, creativity, and inspiration in just about anything. Clouds are not signs of negativity and gloom, their manifesto states, but rather "nature’s poetry" and “the most egalitarian of her displays”.

The society includes members from every corner of the globe who share photos of the sky that are impactful or bring them joy. This year alone the society received nearly 50,000 submissions.

Member Elise Bloustein believes cloudspotting has a much larger lesson than just finding a way to pass the time: “It makes you realize that there’s something bigger than the buildings. It makes you aware that we are inside of a much bigger context” she said, “Clouds really teach you about transience: They come, they go. Like thoughts, like feelings, like so many things.”

But what does this have to do with media, art, or creativity? Here are our takeaways:

1. Joy is universal and can be found anywhere.
2. Ideas are best when they come from a place of wonder.
3. When something seems bad on the surface, optimism is key. Whether rainy, cloudy, sunny, or snowy, the sky never has a bad day.

If you’re struggling to find creativity, inspiration, or joy, just look up. With a little gratitude, you might be surprised as to what you might find.