WTF is the Muse and How Do I Catch It?
That little bugger keeps on flying out of reach. Should I catch the thing, part of me wants to put it in a cage and keep it in my backyard.
Patricia Prudente via Unsplash
The muse is artistic inspiration. It’s that thing that makes you want to write. Scratch that — it’s that thing that makes you unable to stop writing.
I constantly tell people that I’m “chasing the muse” and it’s the damn truth. I’m always hunting for something that will push me to be more productive in my writing, both in the practical sense and in the artistic sensibility. Every writer knows what I’m talking about. The feeling when the words to flow down out of your brain and into your fingers like some strange and magical being has taken over you. It’s addictive, and like any addiction, we just want more of it.
If I could spring a trap for that wily little being, then lock it wire box where it would buzz around but serve me whenever I wanted it to, why I’d be golden.
Imagine being able to yank it out and have it whenever you needed it. You’d be able to pop out a chapter in book in the hour break between dropping off the kids at soccer practice and scurrying back to pick their sweaty little butts up. Glorious.
Wisdom from Lilo
There is a simple way to catch the muse, but you’re probably not going to like it.
Stop trying to catch it.
Yeah. It’s true though.
The minute I try to force that beautiful creature into a cage, that’s when its little light dims and it's impossible for me to harness its power. I can’t help but think of a Lilo and Stitch. When Stitch is trapped in a cage, he’s ferocious and snarling. He’ll bite your arm off. By giving him agency and supportive attention, Lilo allows Stitch to become his best self. Suddenly he’s building community and enriching the lives of everyone around him and saving the world from other aliens.
This whole thing is in a thousand kid’s movies. Elsa freezes Arendell and makes snow monsters when she’s not given the freedom to be herself. If you put Tinkerbell in a box, she’s not going to use her magic to help you. If you try to keep your muse in a backyard cage, you’re never going to be able to use it.
Let it be free!
Give your muse a rest
Enough of the metaphor, let’s get practical.
Stop trying so hard to write. When you feel that depression in your motivation, take a damn break.
Get outside. Take a nap. Watch an episode of Blown Away on Netflix (really, you should do this — it’s a show with a deeply creative soul). Avoid scrolling on your phone. Meditate with a guided meditation. Wash the dishes. Fold some laundry.
Taking a break will make your words much better. It’ll make it less of a chore and more of a joy, which is what we all want. Those words will come faster and they’ll be better. There’s science behind this. I’m not going to get deep into it, but Scientific American has a wonderful article about it.
Think of your muse as a pigeon in the park. If you run after the pigeon screaming “Come here and let me feed you!”, the pigeon is going to fly away. If you sit down on a part bench and put some crumbled bread at your feet, well that pigeon is going to come on over.
Don’t scare your muse pigeon or try to put it in a cage.
