When the muse calls, stop, listen and create.
STOP and stop fully as attention cannot be shared across multiple subjects. And do it fast. She is a fleeting spirit and will not stay for long as many others are desiring her company.
As children, we created with wild abandon jumping from one thing to the next as the muse excitedly shared more and more ideas because we stopped, listened and created whenever we felt her.
LISTEN- really listen – because her messages are not always discernible. While it may seem that the muse has forgotten about you but maybe her messages have simply become quieter as other things in life have become louder. I bet if you were to invite her, whether with words or a candle or sitting quietly with an open journal or blank canvas, you will see, hear or feel signs of her. She speaks in images of memories past, tunes with words to be filled and touches to the heart that pull at our yearning.
CREATE. Create with wildly. Without inhibitions. There is no right or wrong. And create often. Creating is our signal to the muse that we are open to receiving and will not neglect her messages. Create until she comes again.
The muse provides the inspiration for creating; she is not the judge. She does not care what you make or how you make it. She comes to give you the nudges needed to unleash what is inside. She knows creating is an imperfect process and the beauty often is in the wrinkles, the off colors, and the cracks in our voice.
Today, I am publishing a “Blog Blob” episode on my podcast. When I sat down to record this episode, I put on my headphones, pulled the microphone to my face and hit record. Halfway through speaking, I realized I had forgotten to plug in my microphone! While the program was recording what I was saying, it was using the computer’s microphone instead which lends to suboptimal audio quality. But the muse beckoned and I continued talking.
I’m putting out my imperfect episode because I have learned that when the words come, I need to let them flow. The message would not have delivered quite the same if I recorded again. Next time, I’ll be ready with the microphone plugged in.
So go and create. Be okay with your imperfections. Maybe even publish them.
Or at the least, share with me!