How to summon your inner muse

How to summon your inner muse

In each of us, deep down inside, underneath the everyday noise and the voice of our inner critic, lives a magical entity that protects and nourishes our creative free spirit.  

This part of us, often known to as our inner muse, is the source of our most authentic and inspired creative expressions. 

She is the whisper that encourages us to take risks.

She is the voice that inspires us to dream big.

She motivates us to take action and create from the heart. 

But this inner muse can sometimes be elusive, hiding behind layers of self-doubt and routine. 

Daily responsibilities and critical self-talk buries the muse, leaving us disconnected from our passion and feeling a lack of fulfillment and increased frustration.  Our work becomes monotonous and a sense of emptiness begins to take over our life. 

But even if our muse feels dormant, she is always present. 

This is because she is an intrinsic part of our soul, a divine spark that connects us to the greater creative force of the universe.

She is our inner light and true essence, constantly guiding us toward our highest potential.

She may be quieted by external pressures or inner turmoil, but she never truly vanishes. 

The muse resides in the depths of our being, patiently waiting for us to silence the noise and listen to her gentle whispers.

So, how do we summon this vital source of creativity in moments when inspiration is low?

This is a questions I’ve been in for most of my life as an artist.

I go through seasons of intense creative energy and output and then life interrupts the flow with throwing unexpected things at me like Covid, Shingles, knee surgery, war in my homeland and break ups, all things I’ve experienced in the last 24 months.  

When going through life’s unexpected challenging experiences we can easily fall asleep to ourselves and to what makes us come alive.  And sometimes is hard to feel inspired to keep on going. We believe we don’t have any creative juices left in us or we’re waiting for inspiration to arrive. 

This is totally normal. I meet myself in this space often. But something that I’ve leaned over the years is that I have the tools and the ability to pull myself out of the darkness and summon the muse so that she can turn my motivation and  inspiration back on. 

In my journey, I’ve discovered that summoning the muse and activating my creative free spirit requires a combination of mindfulness, intentionality, and openness.

This is how what that looks like for me: 

Mindfulness: For the muse to show up, I must first clear the mental chatter that often drowns her. I recommit to my practice of daily meditation and silent walks and weekly breathwork, ecstatic dance and swimming.  I slow down my mind and increase physical activity to help me attune to my inner world. 

Intentionality: I create clear, purposeful intentions for my creative practice. I decide what I want to create and why, and then take deliberate steps towards making it happen. My creative practice  creates a roadmap for my muse to follow. I create a structure for my creative work within which my muse can operate, making it easier to tap into creative flow. 

Openness: I stay open to new ideas and perspectives. I honor old ideas that never saw the light of day (even though they felt right at the time they arrived) and I welcome the ideas that are ready to come to life. When I stay open, I invite my muse to guide me in unexpected and magical ways, leading me to creative breakthroughs and new discoveries. 

Summoning your inner muse is a practice that requires patience, dedication, and a willingness to explore the depths of your own creativity.  

Your muse is always with you, waiting for the right moment to shine. 

Trust in the process and allow yourself to be guided by the gentle whispers of your creative free spirit.