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Methods of Re-Creation (Part III)
We’ve been exploring ideas regarding inspiring your Muse. We normally think of a Muse as a force, or being, or a part of our subconscious that delivers inspiration from the Mystery to us. But it’s not a one-way flow from Muse to Artist. You are in a relationship with your Muse and your job is to inspire each other. If you find that your creative wellspring has run dry, that you can no longer hear the Muse’s whisper, and that you can no longer bring forth ideas from the Mystery, you may have been neglecting to properly nourish your Muse.
This series is exploring ways to to just that - to re-create your Muse and yourself so she will, once again, grace your studio, writing desk, or dance space and start inspiring you.
We started our exploration into The Muse a few weeks ago. And, for the next few weeks, I’ll outline ways that I’ve been able to bring my Muse, along with joy back into my life.
If you missed any of the previous articles you can catch up by clicking the article name below:
Methods of Re-Creation - Part I
(Journaling, Nature, Creative Play)Methods of Re-Creation — Part II
(Meditation, Reading, Meditative Living)
On to today’s post:
Noticing
“The artist sees what others only catch a glimpse of.” — Leonardo DaVinci
The longer I live, and the more I attempt to create, I believe the following is the essence of being an artist: simply to notice.
Notice more. Notice beauty. Notice goodness. Notice truth. Notice what others ignore. And, especially notice what is interesting bout those small moments that most people miss. What do you notice that most people don't? Every single moment presents infinite beauty and infinite fascination. But most people, most of the time, miss it all.
So, to be an artist, do this: don't miss it all. Notice it. Cultivate awareness. That is what I am attempting to do in my life: to be aware of the transcendent truth and beauty in all of the universe's small moments, so that I may somehow, via my writing, my work, my music or somehow, in my own life, reflect the beauty of creation back to the universe in a small way. And in that small way, contribute to the beauty of creation. I wrote about this more fully in Noticing, The Meaning of Life.
Gratitude
Many wiser souls than me have enlightened us about the power of gratitude. The way I finally brought gratitude regularly into my life is my own form of a “gratitude journal.”
I keep it simple, and I keep the bar super-low to ensure that I’ll actually do it daily. If the process was too complicated, I would blow it off.
What I do is this: I simply try to write about something good every day. It doesn't matter what, specifically, but I notice, and record just one good thing. As an example, here are my gratitude entries for 2023. Most of the entries are only one or two sentences, small enough to fit in a tweet (I originally started the practice on Twitter, so got in the habit if keeping each entry short). It’s not a time consuming practice at all. Surely you can write one simple sentence about a good moment today. It can even be as simple as, “I’m alive.”
Sometimes, particular moment stands out. More often, I mentally review each day to uncover at least one (although more than one is fine!) single joyful, inspiring, meaningful, wondrous slice of time where, no matter what other problems or challenges have endarkened my soul, I recall one moment in which the light of creation reached me.
If one lived for 30,000 days, one could live, and perhaps even remember 30,000 good, inspiring moments in a lifetime. Is that enough? It seems like possibly it would be. 30,000 joyful moments adds up to a joyful life, doesn’t it? I wrote further about this practice here.
Music
Music, like all art, creates magic. Music is inspiring. Music is powerful.
Here’s how the band Rush described music in Spirit of Radio:
Emotional feedback on a timeless wavelength, Bearing a gift beyond price. — Rush
Music is always uplifting, but to truly reap the benefits for your creative soul, it helps to occasionally go old school — don’t just have music on the background, but make listening to music the primary activity.
Remember how we used to sit with a vinyl record and simply listen? Perhaps while we perused the album art? Today, too many of us only play music as a background to our lives, as we scroll our phones or drive. But music, just like your art, deserves to be the center of attention from time to time. You can still do that today! Just put on your favorite streaming service, crank it up, put your phone down, close your eyes, and be transported to another universe where you receive emotional feedback on a timeless wavelength bearing a priceless gift.
Music costs even less today than when Rush wrote those lyrics. So you have no excuse. I wrote about one such evening of listening to music, and how it restored my soul, here.
This piece is an excerpt from my forthcoming book, The Sovereign Artist.
Inside of each of us lies a divine force - The Sovereign Artist within - a remarkable force to bring joy, peace, creativity and love back into our lives. This approach to the creative process saved me, and it can save you too, perhaps it can save us all. Connecting with The Sovereign Artist manifests as an explosion of creativity, peace, and quiet inner joy. It transforms the artist into a reflection of itself - sovereign, free, joyful and loving. If that is of interest, please click the button below to join the book’s waitlist.
Creatively,
Clintavo
Sum Ergo Creo
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Thank you for all of your insight