Do you know how to consistently connect with the creative muse? Probably my favorite activity in working with clients is guiding them in my signature “Meet Your Muse” guided visualization.
We journey from meadow to woods to a clearing and a little building inside which the muse, a symbol of their creative source, awaits.
Questions for Your Creative Muse
We come with questions:
- Which book to write?
- Who are my readers?
- What’s blocking me and how do I get unstuck?
- How do I find my voice?
- How to get over my self-doubt?
- Is this the right timing (to write it, to join a class, to work with Lisa)?
- What’s the optimal way to get this book written?
- Should I self-publish or traditionally publish?
- How do I organize the book?
- How can I connect with you every time I write?
This list goes on and can get very specific. We try not to overdo the number of questions on a call and work to identify those that are key and timely.
If you’re not writing a book, you can still connect to the muse for any kind of creative guidance, such as how to:
- Get inspired.
- Break through challenges
- Identify what project to work on next
- Clarify your next step
- Refocus
- Rediscover your passion
- Gain artistic confidence
- Connect with your vision for the project
- Gain perspective
- Understand and express complex situations
And much more!
The guided visualization I described offers one way to connect with the creative muse. Ready for more?
9 Ways to Connect with the Creative Muse
Breathe: As a qigong practitioner, I do lots of deep breathing. Deep breathing naturally helps us let go of stress, resets the nervous system and opens us up to the expansive universe of creativity.- Close Your Eyes and Ask: Yes, it can be that simple. Close your eyes. Then ask for guidance and support. (of course, feel free to add a few deep breaths here as well!).
- Play: The creative muse loves to play! The more childlike the play, the more creative you get. So, take out those finger paints or crayons and draw with no other objective than to connect with your creativity.
- Sing: Singing naturally raises your mood and uplifts, making it easier to connect with your creative source.
- Skip: Skipping is so childlike. The creative muse naturally responds to such a spontaneously happy act.
- Feel: Maybe you don’t feel like singing or skipping. Maybe you feel crummy. If you allow yourself to embody the feeling, get deeply in touch with the nuances of that feeling, and find a way to express it–through writing, art, movement, talking out loud, you can utilize your emotions for creativity.
- Get in Nature: Okay, if you’ve read my blog for a while, you know nature is my answer to EVERYTHING that ails. But of course. The muse hangs out in nature. The muse appears in the animals you encounter; the elements of sun, wind, earth and rain; the plants that catch your eye. Go deep in your observations and you’ll likely find creative answers to whatever you’re wondering about.
Read Something Inspiring–and Short: Read a favorite poet (Rumi or Hafez, anyone?). Or a humorous writer (Anne Lamott or David Sedaris). But keep it short so it serves as a bridge to your own creative pursuits.- Be Grateful: When you focus on gratitude for your creativity and creations, you’ll find the muse responds with more.
What To Do Once You Connect with Your Muse
You’ve connected with the creative muse; now what?
- Perhaps you’ve put together questions to ask; ask them.
- Or maybe you just want to connect and create. Go for it: write, paint, choreograph, sculpt, sing, compose, play!
- Or maybe you want to create an idea list and then choose something. Good. Do it.
- Or perhaps you feel inspired to invite others to co-create with you. Sure, call them up. Or get everyone on a zoom call. Community can supercharge our creativity.
Your Turn
What are your favorite ways of connecting with your muse? Share tips, stories, anything you like!
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