Can you negotiate with your Muse?

At Pacifica Graduate Institute’s Writer’s Journey gathering this past weekend, storyteller Michael Meade talked about the Muse.

He mentioned how his Muse tended to wake him up at 4am … and that eventually he realized that maybe he should see if his Muse could come visit at a more, eh, appropriate hour, like 6:30am. And She obliged.

Can you relate?

I can! I have the same early morning Muse who comes to visit me. She really wants me to finish my book and write a song for my Mermaid album.

“But I have to finish this website.”
“But I have to finish my (very late) taxes.”
“But I have to read this book by {name of author} who knows a helluva lot more than me about {marketing/social media/PR/blogging}.”

In spite of my litany of excuses, She consistently forgives me and keeps showing up. So, what would happen if someday She just gave up and stopped coming around? Not a happy thought.

This seems like a much bigger problem than not knowing everything about Pinterest!

When confronted with the impulse to honor your overwhelming list of responsibilities over worshipping your Muse, take a deep breath and just stop. You may very well have good reason to take care of the mundane as soon as possible (because the IRS cometh with audit forms and the like), but can you negotiate with your Muse?

“Dear Muse: I promise to give you an hour (or two) today, but I really need to finish my taxes too.”

Respect and love up your Muse every day and she’ll reward you with a constant stream of creative ideas that will illuminate you and possibly the world. Part of your job is to just show up for Her. Put off the have-to-dos for an hour or two and dive into the creative world of your Muse. You’ll show up much stronger in the mundane world if you worship at the altar of Creativity/Imagination first.

And, if it’s been awhile since you’ve had a visit from your Muse, here are a few tips to lure her back into your life:

1. Pick a spot in your home or outside in nature where you will be relatively undisturbed for an hour or more.
2. Pick an image, statue or an object from nature and focus a lot of love onto it. Pray over it even. Make it a morning ritual to just sit in your sacred space of making and ask your Muse to return.
3. Dust off your journal/notebook and begin doodling spirals or anything random on the page. Or, do the Julia Cameron thing: Artist’s Way Morning Pages. Write 3 pages of “stuff” and let it pour out uncensored. Unblock the dam and the new thoughts and ideas will begin to flow.
4. Consistently sit with your Muse at the same time each day. She’ll hear the call and will pay you a visit.

You may sit around for a few days or weeks wondering if She’ll really come back. Do not doubt. She will return. Like your Guardian Angels, you and your Muse have a sacred contract. If you keep your end of the bargain, She’ll keep hers.

If you could use a Muse in the physical realm, come play with me! I’d love to be your inspirational Mer-muse for that project you’re drawn to do but feel stuck from moving forward with. Be it a book, an album, a film or an inkling of a project. Sometimes you just need that unconditional, non-judgemental sounding board to help you take the next step.

Just shoot me an email and let me know what you need help with.

Here’s to your brilliance!

With deep bows of respect to you + your Muse,

Kris