The Care and Feeding of a Muse
How do you take care of a Muse?
Personally, I need plenty of sleep, the occasional massage and lots of chocolate.
But of course, we're not talking about a YA Muse, but the general definition of "the source of inspiration for a creative artist." Once you've found your source(s) of inspiration, what do you do to maintain that connection? How do you feed that muse as it feeds you? Because it can't all be taketaketake, you know. If I deplete my sources, they tend to abandon me (at the most inopportune moments).
Maintaining a muse means combatting the crazy.
It means finding the balance.
It means mining all your sources of inspiration. Because I've found that just one isn't enough.
Maintain a muse requires that you take advice from other writers. Seek out new posts on your favorite blogs. And keep going back to the thoughts that have inspired you most. For me, this includes words of wisdom from Libba Bray and Hilary Mantel.
In order to keep my muse close, I have to turn off my Skinny. I have to turn off the Internet. I have to give my mind time to rest and stretch and travel. I have to take a walk or find a quiet place to retreat. I need to remember why I write in the first place. I need to pry open the closed door that won't let me see the big picture. I need to lie on my back on the floor and watch the ceiling fan spin. I need to immerse myself in research.
Even with all of that, sometimes my muse escapes me. And then, I just have to keep writing and believe, wholeheartedly, that on the next revision, I will find that inspiration. Because sometimes keeping a muse close requires letting her go.
What do you do to maintain your muse?
Personally, I need plenty of sleep, the occasional massage and lots of chocolate.
But of course, we're not talking about a YA Muse, but the general definition of "the source of inspiration for a creative artist." Once you've found your source(s) of inspiration, what do you do to maintain that connection? How do you feed that muse as it feeds you? Because it can't all be taketaketake, you know. If I deplete my sources, they tend to abandon me (at the most inopportune moments).
Maintaining a muse means combatting the crazy.
It means finding the balance.
It means mining all your sources of inspiration. Because I've found that just one isn't enough.
Maintain a muse requires that you take advice from other writers. Seek out new posts on your favorite blogs. And keep going back to the thoughts that have inspired you most. For me, this includes words of wisdom from Libba Bray and Hilary Mantel.
In order to keep my muse close, I have to turn off my Skinny. I have to turn off the Internet. I have to give my mind time to rest and stretch and travel. I have to take a walk or find a quiet place to retreat. I need to remember why I write in the first place. I need to pry open the closed door that won't let me see the big picture. I need to lie on my back on the floor and watch the ceiling fan spin. I need to immerse myself in research.
Even with all of that, sometimes my muse escapes me. And then, I just have to keep writing and believe, wholeheartedly, that on the next revision, I will find that inspiration. Because sometimes keeping a muse close requires letting her go.
What do you do to maintain your muse?
1 comments
That last line is perfect, Katy, about sometimes needing to let the muse go. If mine feels she's under too much pressure, she takes a little vacation. But when she comes back, she's rested, happy, and ready to work.
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