The Lost Muse

Ever have those times when you just can't create? In other words your muse is ran away? Well this week it happened to me.  "Oh Muse, Oh Muse where have you gone I cried. What have I done to make you run. Then just as I cried out I found the first of many clues she had left behind. She hadn't left me I had just bee neglecting her!

 

 

My Poor Muse

  Oh,  how many ways I had neglected HER.

 

 I had expected her to just be able to give a masterpiece in the spur of a moment and if she didn't show up just when I expected I ignored her. Then there was the time when I demanded she produce the perfect first draft. Oh goodness have you ever done that?!!  What a bad, bad girl I am for  surfing the web looking for ideas when I should have been more committed in spending time with her. I had ignored her all day on so many occasions, and hadn't taken the time to  write down the excellent phrases or ideas she had whispered in my ears so many times!  And when I  finally did sit to “work,” I  use the excuse she wasn't helping and got mad at her. After pondering on the whys of her absence I thought,  had I just expected so much of her? Had she gotten to tired of being neglected that she needed a break from ME!! Oh Muse, Oh Muse what must I do to get you back? I can't do this without you, I need you!

 Well, after looking long and hard for my sweet muse I found she had indeed left a few clues that I had not seen. Clues that had been there all along when I finally took time to be still!! Ever heard the phrase " Be still and know"? Well there is much more to that than we realize and when we just take a minute to be still and quiet all of our nonsense expectations we can come to know that our muse hasn't left she has  been there all along. We just need to " Be still and know".  Know that when we quit focusing on creating a finished product and start having fun creating it,  she will join in. When we create a safe and comfortable routine for her, she feels comfortable to turn loose. When we actually spend time with her one on one and not allow all the daily interruptions like the web, facebook,  and whatever may take our full attention away, her voice becomes like a song that gets stuck in our head!  We need to know to always give her credit when credit is due and when it's not give it to her anyway after all art is individual and if we try we can see the beauty in all that our muse leads us to create!

And last but not least when she speaks LISTEN, Write it down even if you cannot get to it right away so you will be able to look back and know that even when she is tired she is still right there beside you ready to get her muse on!!

The point is, our muse will always be there for us when we take the time to nurture her and  be with her. When we stop placing high and unrealistic expectations on her and see the beauty in all she leads us to create. After all as the old saying goes, Rome was not built in a day!! Today I found my muse and brought her home. Have you found your missing muse? If not try a few of the clues she left for me and let me know when you bring her home!! Your Challenge for the next week is to find your muse! Create a piece of art and email a picture to www.melodee.oia@gmail.comwith your story, I will then post it here on my blog!! Lets get together art friends and help those who have lost their muse find her and bring her home!!

  Tah Tah for now my artsy friends and remember to hug your MUSE today!!!

 

                  Mel’odee