Absent of muse, and how to over come it
So I have nothing to say, nothing to write about.
And they say when you have nothing to say that you should read. And that is exactly what I've been doing with my time. I have been reading and reading. Non-stop, apart from the occasional game and movie. So now, what - should I just read and read until the end of time? Will inspiration ever strike again?
This idea that we need inspiration to create is a fool's myth.
We create because it's just in us, we make because nothing feels better than to manifest something into existence. And if you ever want inspiration to strike you, you have to already be doing the work. Otherwise, it's just an idea you had. Lady Muse only visits creators who are consistent and consistently working. That is when she makes her presence known.
The professional does not wait for inspiration; he acts in anticipation of it - Steven Pressfield
I find this idea that as creatives we are magic, we are just built differently, eccentric, outside the box.
Where in reality, we are just like everyone else. The only difference is that we are in one of two categories.
Our parents loved us and showed interest in our creative endeavors, never making us doubt or second-guess our creativity.
We were told this was a waste of time and would not end well. But we said, "Screw it," and did it anyway, or out of spite. I was the former and was never told to take another career path. And I'm thankful because I do what I love. I also chased happiness and time over money. I never feel burnt out anymore, and I never feel any anxiety or pressure because I don't care.
This idea that creatives are different, that we just write and write, create and create, isn't true. Like I said before, we are just like you. But without the doubt in our heads. We, like you, have to try to come up with ideas, and if they don't arrive, we sit in contemplation. Motivating yourself is hard, you don't get inspiration then do the work, you do the work then inspiration follows.
For the lungs to draw in air, they must first be emptied. For the mind to draw inspiration, it wants space to welcome the new. The universe seeks balance - Rick Rubin
We read, watch, listen, and be. When that cup is full of life, we get to work. We sit at our desk, we pick up that instrument, and we start playing, regardless of outcome. We just start, and it's when we start that Lady Muse shows up.
