Where Does Creativity Come From – The Elusive Muse

Artists and poets have for centuries talked about ‘the muse.’ A movie was made about a muse.  The muse is the source of inspiration. It has often been seen as some kind of dark supernatural force, but actually it can be anyone around you or something as mundane as a photograph or a walk in the park. If you can identify your muse and turn to it when you need inspiration, this will help you unlock your creative flow and fuel your blogging passion and results.

Who’s Your Muse?

Take a minute to think of the people you know. Who makes you feel inspired? Is there someone you chat with over coffee and then you find yourself rushing home full of creative energy? Is there another blog, a Facebook page, or an email list you are on that you become inspired upon reading? If there is, this person is your muse.

You don’t need to have only one. Artist Pablo Picasso considered every woman he had a relationship with his muses. It may be that simply going out and socializing is a good way to get inspired. Your muse may be a stranger you have a conversation with at a bus stop.

Favorite Things

Your muse may not be a person at all. It could be an object or a work of art. Music is especially powerful for inspiring people. You might have a favorite song or album that gets you in the mood to create. It may be a photograph or a book of poetry that you like. Survey your house and ask yourself, ‘What things here make me want to be creative?’

You may also find that looking at similar projects to your own gets you inspired. If you’re trying to design a website, for example, get online and look at the sites of other similar businesses. You may get a great idea.

Follow Thought Leaders

There may be a person you don’t know who serves as your muse. Many people find thought leaders in their industry to be inspiring. By following them and keeping up with their work, you can get inspiration from them.

Who Needs a Muse

Actually, the muse is perhaps a bit overrated. Creative people have always had an almost spiritual belief that their creativity comes from outside themselves. It’s as though inspiration blesses you suddenly and then disappears again. What people fail to recognize is that hard work, practice and habit play much bigger parts in the creative process. If you get into a routine of creative work, you’ll find that the muse drops by much more often.

Want to know more?  I’m working on a special project to share with my fellow bloggers to inspire you to a creative explosion!  It’s part of my “Rat Race Be Gone” mentality and I want others to enjoy the ride!!

Coming soon…..

Hugs and feathers from the nest~~()~~

Kim Steadman is the COOP (Chief Online Operating Person) for The Re-Feathered Nest. A place of encouragement for moms entering the Empty Nest Zone who find they need to RePurpose and ReDesign their lives now that the kids have flown the coop. Kim can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheRefeatheredNest and on Google+ at +Kim.