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Allowing
inspiration to strike
If using your dreams or entering a creative
flow sounds unnatural to you at first, begin with something more familiar:
your in-between states of consciousness, when you are just falling
asleep or just waking up, or other times when you are a little "zoned
out."
If you are one of those people who wakes up
slowly, someone who'd rather not talk for an hour or two first thing
in the morning, consider it a good time to talk to your Muse instead.
Scribble, doodle, or just let yourself be in a reverie once in a while.
If you are usually rushing off to work or school
first thing, look for these special times on the weekend or a holiday,
during a short nap, in the shower, driving the car, exercising, or
anytime your ordinary mind is on automatic pilot.
During these times of reverie, what comes up for you? An idea?
Words? Images? A tune? A solution? A new concept?
A story? Take what comes up seriously and record it in some way. Keep
a notebook nearby, or a small tape recorder or a drawing pad or whatever
is most useful to you. That's all. It's so simple to begin.
Passion,
intention, and space for the unexpected
As important as receptivity are two other qualities: your strong
desire (your passion) and your intention to develop your creative
ideas. Once you are working on an idea or project with a strong desire
or intention and once your mind is calm and quiet,
you are more likely to recognize the jewels peeking through. That
doesn't mean the jewels weren't there all along! I
can't tell you how many beautiful words I have lost because I didn't
take the time to jot down the inspiration when it came. Ordinary mind
can't always hold onto it for long. We are so easily distracted.
A calming of the mind happens for many people
when they do repetitive tasks like driving, gardening, running, or
walking the dog. Now, I look forward to these times in a new way.
They create fertile ground for the flow of ideas. Some people have
reported that their ideas flowed not during but after this
kind of activity. An important key seems to be to reach a certain
level of mental relaxation. In the United States, we have become a
people hell-bent on control and efficient use of our time. This is
not conducive to creative work, which, instead, must allow for the
unexpected to emerge. Creativity itself is a child of the timeless.
You can't control it and you wouldn't really want to.
Creating
a sacred space
Rituals
and ceremonies have been used throughout time to assist people who
are entering a new way of being, The
ritual or ceremony serves to mark the change and to help us prepare
for it.
For
your creative work, devise a ritual of your own that signifies you
are entering a special place where you will meet the Muse and where
you will be changed. The ritual doesn't have to be elaborate. It can
be something as simple as lighting a candle, putting on special music,
unplugging the phone, saying a prayer.
Close your eyes and take a few breaths.
State your intention. Ask for assistance. You are entering a timeless
place, a place where the Muse lives. Her song is altogether lovely!
There
are many names for the Creative Principle. It doesn't so much
matter what you call the Divine. It is enough to acknowledge and
recognize that there is something much bigger than yourself at
work and play in the vast universe we inhabit. Learn to tap in
and you'll step into the flow of creation and an experience
of love.
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Getting out of your own way
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Seeking beauty's place
in our time
Read
a blessing poem
Learn
more about
the Greek muses
Read
an article about aesthetics
and cyberart
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