how to kiss up to your muse

The Muse of love, art, cash, strategy, worship, desire, wellness, beauty, business plans.

Don't you adore her? Do you...adore her? Actively? Adore.

Muses simply must be adored. They're as grandiose as they are generous. They like to be respected. If you meet them half way, they'll give you the moon, the breakthrough concept, the stroke of...genius. Dis' your muse and she's likely to stop dropping by. She's righteous. Genius is like that.

As Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) puts it in her freshly legendary TED Talk, we've made "a huge error in believing that creative genius comes from the Self," rather than a greater source outside of us. Can you hear the Muses saying, "Yeah baby. Got that right. You say it sister."

There are a zillion starry ideas floating in the milky way and they need you as much as you need them. Genius is looking for a vehicle. You gotta pimp your ride.


HOW TO DO RIGHT BY THE MUSE

1. Drop everything when she shows up.
In an interview with Neil Young, Charlie Rose asks Neil about following his muse. (You won't hear this in the clip below.)

Charlie: "So if you get an idea at say, a dinner party, if you hear a tune or a lyric, do you excuse yourself form the party?"
Neil: "Of course. You never know when she'll (The Muse) come again. I'm responsible to her."

When you feel an idea comin' on, excuse yourself. Pull over to the side of the road. Get lost in the creative flow. Be late. Barge in. (Eccentricity makes Muses especially horny.)

2. Have your tools ready.
Master-writer Anne Lamott, keeps 3×4 white note cards and pens in every purse and drawer and vehicle to capture thoughts that float out as quickly as they float in. If I leave home without my kraft Moleskine and blue medium point PaperMate pens, I feel discombobulated, like I might miss my train. Keep a notepad by your night stand. Leave yourself a voice mail. Don't assume that the best ideas will come back to you.

3. Go looking for her.
You know where she likes to party: the art gallery, by the lake, on your morning run, when the stereo is cranked and the lights are low, in the stillness of a church or forest, when you first wake up. Set the stage and chances are she'll take to it.

4. Engage her.
She's busy, for sure, but The Muse LOVES it when you actually play with her. When she drops an idea in your bucket you can ask her what the hell she's thinking. You can ask her what chapter should come next, or where to look for funding. She could yammer 'til dawn and before you know it, you've mapped out your magnum opus.

5. Do what she tells you to do.
Ignore your muse at your own peril. She doesn't always have it right, or maybe we don't always hear her clearly, but the more you heed her wisdom, the faster you get to drive on the Creative Awesomeness Highway. You and The Muse in the diamond lane. Godspeed.

Charlie Rose interviews Neil Young :



Possibly Related Posts:

posted 18 Oct 09 in: White Hot, creativity + art + design articles   ·     ·   20 comments

• Follow Danielle on Twitter • Follow Danielle on Facebook

20 comments so far. add your own.

 

I think I got it. It's a bit like setting priorities and sticking to your true values, only said in more artistic term. Niceeee!

Eduard


Ideas With A Kick
19 Oct 09
 
Reply
 

Oh yeah. Adore is a good word for it, as is love. As in love her deeply, madly, passionately. Worship her for the goddess she is. And when she delivers, thank her from the bottom of your heart. Art doesn't come from us, it comes through us. From the muse, through her human instruments, into the physical world.


Jay Schryer
19 Oct 09
 
Reply
 

I never travel without a notebook and pen either, Danielle. If I haven't a handbag with me, I always shove a tiny penl and some blank business cards in my jeans pocket. I've disappeared into the toilet to write before if the Muse visits while I'm at someone's house. The Gilbert talk is my second favourite of all time after the one where the scientist discusses the revelation she had after her stroke.


janice | Sharing the Journey
19 Oct 09
 
Reply
 

wow. just watched the full elizabeth gilbert ted talk and it was incredible. inspired and inspiring. thanks for sharing.


Leigh @ Constant Cravings
19 Oct 09
 
Reply
 

This is such a timely and applicable post! As always...THANK YOU for taking me higher! Have you seen the PBS documentary about Joni Mitchell called "A Woman of Heart and Mind"? I highly recommend it. She talks a lot about her creative process...
Love from Portland...


Lauren Harkness
19 Oct 09
 
Reply
 

Nice - Fresh perspective. Now i have a good reason to do what i already do - thanks!

:)


Satya
19 Oct 09
 
Reply
 

You can also text yourself or send a phone msg to a blog or email account.
I love all your suggestions - super post
Hugs...


LarryG
19 Oct 09
 
Reply
 

Danielle: I read this just now and STOPPED because my muse has been pissy since 10am today, griping and getting louder. When I read your piece, I remembered and stopped to write down a particularly juicy dream I had last night--that's where my muse plays olympic-caliber inspiration. THANK YOU!


Dyana Valentine
19 Oct 09
 
Reply
 

My muse loves exercise and potato chips with jalapeno dip. She is easy to feed and very affordable. Other than that, I seldom need more than a notebook and open eyes. There are plenty of things to notice and plenty of things to be inspired by. But you can miss them all if you get too preoccupied.

Thanks as always, Danielle.


Josh Hanagarne
19 Oct 09
 
Reply
 

II have with, at all times, a way to record what my muse gives me. I have found that my IPhone is very useful when I am driving and my muse hits me with a great idea. I use this cool voice recorder app and just record my inspiration.

Excellent article. :-)


Keith
19 Oct 09
 
Reply
 

I know exactly what you mean about your Moleskine. I take mine everywhere with me, I even wrote on the very first page 'I will take you everywhere with me.' If I go out and I forget it I go crazy, grab any smallish piece of paper and write on that but I always include a little sorry note on it as well, with the intention that it will be stuck in my Moleskine.

Eat, Pray, Love is one of my favourite books. I am absolutely bursting with joy every time I read it. Thank you Danielle for posting that talk!


Christine
19 Oct 09
 
Reply
 

Ahhh, what a great post. I've found that the more I listen to her, the more she opens up to me. We've got a lovely relationship, but she won't let me sleep :)


Nathan Hangen
19 Oct 09
 
Reply
 

Great post, Danielle. And thanks so much for sharing the Gilbert clip. First time I'd seen it, and it brought me to tears. My soul needed to hear that today!


Cindy
20 Oct 09
 
Reply
 

Fantastic "musings" (no pun intended). I have posted this article on my blog, "La Vida Artisitca=The Artistic Life", with a link to your site. thanks for these words!


LJM
20 Oct 09
 
Reply
 

I have often referred myself as being the muses' bitch - when she shows up you never know what you're in for! But it is usually intense, inspirational and leaves you exhausted! I often use to let her run me to the ground with her creative high. Whenever she showed up I stop whatever I was doing and play along. Now that I'm older, I realize I don't need to chase her in an endless simon says game. I don't need to fear her leaving me or let her...http://bit.ly/18WAqm


stephey baker
21 Oct 09
 
Reply
 

I'm pretty sure I was supposed to be a muse, because that is EXACTLY how I like to be treated.


Sydney
28 Oct 09
 
Reply
 

Danielle, I love that Liz Gilbert talk too. I've marched a few of my girlfriends to the computer and called it up on youtube, then sat by their side to watch and discuss it. So touching and funny, and such an effective mental device to side-step the Veil of Doubt that often clouds the air; between me and my muse, anyway. The combined effect of my stubbornness and her brilliance, however, are starting to clear things up. So good things are ahead! Note to self: get moleskine notebook. Note to you: thanks for kicking so much ass.


EJ
15 Nov 09
 
Reply

share your truth + opinions