Have you ever taken the time to meet your inner muse?
How does it speak to you? In zaps of energy, flashes of insight or through a craving you can’t explain? None or all of the above?
The inner muse can be a slow, soft nudge or a bright beacon of instant clarity – it’s range is as diverse as the number of people on earth. The essence of what it wants to share goes beyond specifics, reaching into the deeper realms of the creative void we cannot yet see but feel called to explore.
Rumblings of our inner muse are a reminder to connect with fresh, new, playful energy. As we open to sensing what’s next without fine-tuned clarity, trust needs to outweigh the fear. We must depend on intuition to lead us to create in a new way, so we can personally evolve through what we build as well as what we break down and release.
There is No Force, Just Say No or Follow
Forcing our inner creative muse to do something specific is like pouring ice water into a hot bath. It will dissolve it’s fire completely.
The playful energy of the new is the attraction, calling our heart and soul to listen and expand into areas we have no logical reason to trust, but feel we must in order to awaken something deeper and more expansive. Yet, our logic binds us, asking the practical questions and extinguishing the creative fire of imagination before it’s had a chance to spark.
Honoring what we feel drawn to allows us to consider where the muse is directing us, helping loosen the grip of the permission-based mind and slide into trusting the possibility of what’s next.
What if I took that new class? What would happen if I said yes to doing something way out of the natural, well-worn path? How does it feel to pursue something I love, but may never make money doing or excel at long-term? Can play and experiencing fun be the whole point?
The Nature and Nurture Aspect of the Muse
It’s spring in the US, which means the robin is joyfully singing, looking for worms and hopping along the ground while the earth warms up. As I wandered through the neighborhood on my morning walk, I passed by a tree with two robin parents encouraging their fledgling to take bigger hops and fly farther than the branches of the “safe” tree where all is well. I watched while the young one slowly moved a little farther out of his comfort zone, talking with his parents all the while for encouragement.
Even though it may not seem like we have coaches on tap to keep us inspired and motivate us to fly into the unknown, branch by branch, we truly do. Our inner creative muse is always talking with us, but we aren’t always listening, or at times, we give our “gremlin” voice more power.
When you’ve exhausted all the “no’s”, and there isn’t a clear “yes” about jumping into the creative darkness, something remains. There’s a sense of connection you feel to explore something just because it feels like fun, or a spark of intrigue that draws you to daydream and fantasize as you “try” it from a safe distance. This is also the gentle guidance of your inner muse.
When I returned home from my walk, I opened up my trusty Animal Speak book that offers great, detailed descriptions about animal totems and their meanings. I already knew robins are seen as a symbol of spring and connecting with fresh new energies. Their red breast symbolizes creation or, kundalini energy, and the fact it covers their whole chest emphasizes the creative desires of our deepest heart space.
What I didn’t know is that robins establish territory through song. They don’t get physically aggressive with each other, but use their unique singing voice to establish a clear identity and clarify boundaries in order to outline a space to “create” their family. The powder blue eggs shells of robins are also symbolic of the throat chakra, the center of self-expression and willingness to share our unique creative force in new ways.
Where is the muse in your life calling you to sing? What sounds inspiring? What flashes do you see or whispers do you hear when there’s no one around?
Can you trust what your inner muse is showing you and simply leave room to see where it leads, even if it’s completely out of alignment with what you “think” you can or should do?
There will always be a reason to say no, but why not just play with the energy of yes? The muse is simply a prompt to call in new growth in more intuitive ways, instead of forcing the path you think you need to heed. It doesn’t mean you have to change course completely, but it can breathe fresh air into a current path in unexpected ways.
So do you trust what you see, hear, feel the muse is sharing on a deeper level?
To practice listening to the inner muse and balance it with the pull of creative distractions, check out my previous post Creativity Kick-Start: Tips to Identify and Tame Creative Distractions. If you are looking for ways to release more in your life so you can step into the new, check out the Minimalists podcast where they cover career, money, decluttering, relationships and more, sharing tips on how to leave room to hear the creative muse with more clarity. For additional tips on tapping into your inner wisdom, check out my podcast, Flirting With Enlightenment.
Photo credit: Robin