Courting the Muse
Sometimes, regardless of how ready you are, cup of tea beside you, calm music playing and a blank page before you, the right words or ideas just aren’t coming to you.
In the life of a writer, days will come where you just aren’t feeling up to it, or that the creativity you thought you had has disappeared. Your Muse has left you.
It’s an annoying phenomenon that some have called “Writer’s Block”. But to be quite frank, I hate that term.
Largely because I believe that it doesn’t exist.
Granted, there are times when you’re not nearly as productive or creative some days, but to outright say that you have naught to write is a touch far-fetched.
Such a phenomenon does not occur in any other profession. I don’t stop serving at the bar because of “Bartender’s Block” or “Hospo Block”. My Mum doesn’t stop helping clients with their food health because of “Dietitian’s Block”. My brother doesn’t stop painting because of “Painter’s Block” and my Dad sure as hell doesn’t stop doing his work because of “Helping stupid customers in hardware retail with something they know little to nothing about despite their fruitless attempts at what they like to call DIY… Block”.
But I digress…
If the writing process is beginning to stagnate for you, here’s my input on how to court the Muse to your side again and have her resting on your lap like a cat as she whispers whimsy and wonder and passion back into your craft.
Firstly, get away from your writing space, especially if you haven’t done so in a while. More accurately, get out of the house. The best and most immediate solution when I’m stuck is to go for a walk, the more adventurous the better. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had my imagination flow like water from a tap after going for a walk. If your body is moving, your brain likely will as well, in a forward direction no less.
Plot holes have been patched, new ideas have been forged and some other third thing has happened to me after a good walk. Plus, a little exercise doesn’t hurt.
A less active activity could be to return to that which inspired you to write in the first place. Watch films and shows you love, read books you love, and consume any other media that has some root in you wanting to write what you write.
This should not make you slip into the realm of plagiarism, but it should at least get the ball rolling again.
But finally, if all else fails, there is no harm in stepping away from writing for a short while. But only you should make that decision, don’t “take a break” because someone thinks you should, do it because you know it’s best for yourself and you alone.
On the other hand, if you’re doing things right, you will never want to hear anyone say to you “you should take a break”.
Because with any luck, you’ll never think of any space of time as a break.
When writing is your life and your passion, it becomes a Never-Ending Story.
And that means that the Muse is standing right behind you, and it loves you, and you love it. When you have courted your Muse, it’s got your back, and it’s holding your hand.
Thank you for reading and have a beautiful day!
Daniel
