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Dear Muses Column by Jill Badonsky How do you get the next spark of inspiration when your creativity juices seemingly have been shut off? -On The Blink Dear On The Blink, To us this question cannot be answered simply. There are many reasons why creative juices shut off so a suggestion that might work for one mortal will be totally ineffective for another person. From Muse Song, The Muse of Nurturing, Encouragement and Good Company: Creative juices can be shut off by a recent crisis, depression, stress, addictions, health problems, life changes, loss of self-confidence because a previous venture was not accepted, disillusionment, fear in all forms and many other reasons. The compassionate awareness of what is stopping inspiration is a powerful first step. So I will focus on creative sparks following a crisis and life changes since Jill, the muse channeler, has just experienced their dimming effects on the brilliance creativity can bring. Two months ago she moved from the city to the country, deepening a relationship with her significant other. Soon after she lost her father. At the same time she started a new training program. She was also determined to make progress on her second book, but her creativity was used in a wonderful plethora of avoidance techniques instead of on book progress. She was frustrated with her lack of concentration and dedication to her creative passion of writing. Taking stock of all the events that were happening and the required energy to process all of these life situations, the muses finally conveyed how unrealistic she was being. Self-kindness; giving yourself healing time and time to adjust to change, trusting that creativity will return faster when you do these things, is the first suggestion I would give to you. Make a creative gesture symbolizing the change, loss or transition even if it’s an unsent letter or a picture representing the colors, shapes and motions of what you are feeling. From Aha-phrodite, The Muse of Paying Attention and Possibilities: The second suggestion is to use small spaces of time...when you are driving, showering, walking, waiting in line... to bring to mind your creative intentions and be in a receiving place for inspiration without expecting anything in the moment. Holding the intention, practice with "receiving" the possibilities around the intention, will put you where you need to be when the subconscious mystery of creativity percolates the way and fires up a spark for your next illustrious creative journey. From Spills, The Muse of Practice, Patience and Imperfection: Be patient with yourself. Practice patience. Trust the passage of time and your ability to be resilient. From the Shadow Muse, The Muse of the Gifts of the Dark Side: During rough or transitional times, although creative concentration can be compromised, I cannot think of anything more healing than writing, painting, creating...in any form, even if it is a deviation from your chosen pursuit or exposing yourself to the healing poetry or creative works of others. A cleansing movie is not a bad idea, either. "In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." ~Albert Camus Signed, the Muses Give us another challenge. Write in! Visit www.themuseisin.com Based on the book The Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard): 10 Guides to Creative Inspiration for Artists, Poets, Lovers and Other Mortals Wanting to Live a Dazzling Existence by Jill Badonsky, M.Ed. See the book at this Amazon link. Back to Index |