Ignoring the Creative Muses Because I’m Busy Doing Other Things

 

"Angel Pose," pastel painting

I’ve commented from time to time about the seemingly inopportune time the creative muses show up. They always show up on days when I have other work to do. And the trouble is, if I don’t pay attention when they’re here, they may not come back for a while.

Of course, I always thank them and apologize for being too busy to give them attention. I tell them I appreciate their patience with me as I get pulled in other directions and ask their forgiveness.

Then yesterday I thought: If I want to honor the muses for helping inspire my creativity, is it a dishonor if I ignore them when they show up? Is my being too busy doing something else fair to them? After all, if they take the time for me, shouldn’t I stop and take the time for them?

I’m always crabbing about my precious time being interrupted. Wouldn’t it be similar for them? They come to offer me inspiration and guidance and if I don’t take the time to accept it while they’re here, how can I keep expecting them to return? Thankfully, they do.

One thing is, I’m not a one-pony show. I have multiple passions – writing, pastel painting, poetry, photography, and flower gardening, to name a few. Sometimes my mind is so wrapped up with it all it’s hard to decide which to do in the moment… and it’s even harder when the creative fires are roaring, and I have to damper the flames to do household chores and editing for the InterTown Record.

I’m also very intuitive and much of my work is emotional. My heart and soul wraps around whatever project I’m working on at the moment, and yet, there’s often the pull to work on one of the other projects, too.

I start everyday writing morning pages and often, those are interrupted as I think of other things to write about, or I have ideas for different projects. And, if I don’t write things down when I think about them, I forget about it later. (My mind does three times the work of my physical body, ha-ha. By afternoon, I’m exhausted from thinking so much!)

I want to give honor to the muses. I am grateful for their help and inspiration. It’s also a collaboration. Sometimes a thread of an idea will call them in, and words will start flowing, often faster than I can write or type. In the studio, sometimes I pick up a pastel, and my hand starts moving seemingly on its own accord without my brain really thinking about what I’m doing.

In those times, the creative fires are raging. It’s exciting and wonderful, and I feel so good!

Then I come back into myself and start questioning/finding fault with the work I just did. Duh. Yes, sometimes fixing or cleaning up needs to be done, but usually, in the end, the work is good and after a couple minor tweaks, I have to call it done and leave it alone.

PS: Whether the muses are from the Great Spirit, God, Angels, or any other Divine Beings, I don’t know. I never get a distinct feeling of WHO is coming through. I just know I’m getting guidance, and I am grateful. (I always tell myself, “A rose by any other name…” The specific name or being isn’t what’s important. It’s about the message.)