Finding My Inner Writing Muse

A quest for my source of creativity and inspiration

“Ancient Greek poets would often open pieces of epic poetry with an ‘invocation of the muse.’ This plea was directed to the gods of Greek mythology to serve as sources of inspiration and open the door to creative thoughts.“

While I have yet to start a piece of writing with an “invocation of the muse”, I can’t deny that some days, the creative writing juices flow significantly more freely than other days.

Why?

Did I not get enough sleep? Did I not drink enough water? Is something stressing me out and repressing my writing abilities?

Have I somehow slighted the writing gods that be by looking at my stats for too long?

“A creative muse is any source of inspiration you rely on to enrich your writing life and provide you with creative ideas for your next writing project.”

I don’t have my “why” for life and I doubt I’ll ever find it. But I do have my “why” for writing at least.

Long before I ever flirted with the idea of being a writer, I was a reader.

I’ve never doubted my identity as a reader, I’ve never experienced imposter syndrome about my reading, and, even during the years where it wasn’t “cool” to read, I never felt self-conscious about it.

I was a bookworm from a young age, even though no one else in my family was big into reading. But I loved reading, and I was always carrying a book around with me.

Instead of begging my mom to take me to the park, I’d beg her to take me to the library. A few times, I even maxed out the number of books I could borrow on my library card. My mom would just shrug at the librarian, with a “There are worse things my kid could be up to” look on her face.

The flip side to being a bookworm is that I’d always dreamed of one day writing a book. Of one day being able to not just call myself a writer, but an author.

But like so many who put down their childhood dreams, I put down mine too when faced with the reality of … well, life? Growing up? The realization that writing is hard?

While I’m far from ready to write a full book (and I have no idea what this book would even be about), I can at least start small. I can start by writing stories.

“Today a writer’s muse can be anything from a daily routine for your creative work to a song that inspires your own creativity. A writing muse can take whatever form, as long as it helps with your creative writing and inspires you.”

First off, so I can get the pronoun correct, is my muse a male or a female?

I want to say it’s a she. That resonates with me. A writing muse probably doesn’t have gender but if we can have Mother Earth and Father Time, then maybe my writing muse can be a demi-goddess.

Now that I can comfortably call her “her”, where do I begin my search for her?

Maybe my inner writing muse is like Stephen King’s and I’ll find her in the basement, waiting for me to feed her and pamper her with luxuries in exchange for ideas.

But I’ve gone into my basement and all that’s there to greet me is laundry and storage. I don’t think my writing muse is a basement kind of gal.

If she’s not in the basement, maybe I ought to check my roof. I feel like she enjoys sunshine and fresh air. On the days where the weather isn’t so great, she can even take shelter in the attic.

I’ve gone to my rooftop but, silly me, I live in Canada. There’s no way my writing muse would be interested in weathering our Canadian winter snowstorms up there. And I sure hope she doesn’t choose to migrate south for the winter.

Perhaps she’s outside and is one with Mother Nature, working in ways and forms that impact us although we may not understand it.

But I look outside my window and I see a half-dead tree, partially clinging to and partially leaning on my fence. I can’t tell if the fence is lending the tree strength or if the tree is hell-bent on taking something out with it when it goes down. I hope that isn’t my writing muse.

“… having a creative muse can be an invaluable tool for enriching your creative process”

I think my creative muse lives within me. Part of me. Deep within me.

She’s a fickle thing. Powerful and inspiring when she chooses to be. Stubborn and difficult when she’s just not in the mood to be helpful.

She works best during the late hours of the night. Preferably when I’m trying to sleep. That’s when she’s at her prime, tossing me thoughts and poking me awake to ensure I’m listening to her and capturing all her ideas.

In her downtime, she’s watching and observing, absorbing the world around her. She’s snatching ideas from the wind and tossing them carelessly into the junk drawer, sure that they’ll be useful one day in the future.

But when she’s feeling uncooperative, no amount of poking or prodding or pleading will convince her to lift a finger to help. It’s best to understand when she needs some time for herself. Sometimes, she can be cajoled with a glass of wine and a scented candle, but not always.

She thrives in organized chaos. She snubs her nose at any desk that’s too clean and neat, preferring instead a messy desk littered with sticky notes and an assortment of colored pens. It’s important to have a coloring system. My muse is old-schooled — no fancy apps for her; just good ol’ pen and paper.

“… the process of summoning an inner muse, breaking through writer’s block, and finding artistic inspiration in our daily lives is just as important as ever.”

I’m still working on my relationship with my inner writing muse.

We’re on good terms most of the time. But instead of having to cater to and work around her whims, I’d like for her to be my best friend. Someone that I can turn to when I need her and not just when it suits her fancy.

And I want to be her best friend too. I’d like to challenge her and make her the best version of herself. I can do this by keeping her engaged and inspired, pampered and happy.

It can take a lot of effort to stay committed to writing but when that lightning bolt of inspiration strikes, I’m ready.