The Muse Date

When’s the last time you did anything new and creative? If you had to think before answering, it may be time to take your Muse on a date and spend some quality time away from the mendacity of everyday life. It’s amazing how just the simple act of breaking out of your routine can spark your creativity and give you inspiration for your artistic projects.

Of course, I’m not the first person to recommend taking your Muse on a creative date.  In fact, I picked up the idea from The Artist’s Way,  Julia Cameron’s innovative book on creativity. If you haven’t had an opportunity to read it, I’d strongly recommend it.

But back to the topic at hand. Going on a Muse date doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as easy as wandering around a bookstore during your lunch break or stopping by your local park on a summer evening to enjoy a community concert.  It can even be as simple as dropping the kids off at a friend’s house, then locking yourself in your room with a book. Even a daily meditation period in your garden can be a creative date. Whatever gives you the opportunity to get away from your daily routine and get into an inspirational state of mind will be fine with your Muse.

If you have more time to spend with your Muse, you can combine inspiration and hard work by scheduling a weekly trip to the library or to a coffee shop to do some writing. Or you can take a couple of days off to concentrate on a creative project while everyone else in the family is at work or school. Or you might consider enrolling in a weekend writing conference or creativity workshop. Whatever you decide to do, remember that the point of the creative date is simply to make an appointment with your Muse and keep it. The second part is important because the only thing worse than ignoring your Muse is lying to it. A grumpy Muse can sabotage your personal and professional life by blocking your creative energy so treat it with respect. Whatever else you do, don’t make creative promises that you know you won’t be able to keep.

Personally, I’m not able to schedule as many Muse dates as I’d like due to family responsibilities. But I do try to get in at least one activity a month that will keep my Muse interested. I recently went on the Annie Wiggins Ghost Walk in Galena. This was definitely food for my Muse, who likes to write about odd topics and new story ideas are already knocking at the door to my unconscious. They may never be written, but then again they may be. The important thing is that my Muse is happy and productive and looking forward to our next date.

Here are some suggestions for Muse dates, though I’m sure you’ll come up with your own ideas. I’d love to hear about your own excursions at ejm53818@yahoo.com!

Go to the Grand Opera in Dubuque or to a performance at UWP’s Center for the Arts.

Check out a  library book in a genre that you don’t normally read.

Go to Galena or Mineral Point to visit with local artists.

Attend a club meeting or take a continuing education course. Make sure the topic is new to you.

Read a political magazine or watch a pundit that goes against your particular grain.