Real fast! Reminder that we will have two live drawing meetups coming up the next two weeks
Meetup 1 is Wednesday, Aug 23 in BOSTON!
And then back to Pittsburgh on Tuesday Aug 29th at Federal Galley
There’s been a TON of people asking for meetups in their cities… and we’re building a plan for that we’ll talk about SOON! Hope to meet some of you out there at these two meetups.
Now this week’s topic…
Trapping the muse…
LET’S PRETEND THE MUSE IS REAL
In classic literature there is the idea of the muse. A little spirit, fairy, or supernatural being, who comes and grants you the big ideas, the songs, the visuals, and gently whispers them in your ear.
When artists felt stuck, they’d say they lost their muse. It just feels like the muse stopped visiting them for what could be a variety of reasons.
YOUR IMAGINATION IS SUPERNATURAL
There’s a common pattern you can find when you read or listen to interviews with great artists and writers. They say they feel like they didn’t write the songs or books. It sometimes feels as if the ideas just came to them.
And one day… it was gone.
The muse just stopped visiting them. Ask Bob Dylan about this. Watch here…
When Bob Dylan was asked here about his process for song writing, he said he didn’t write the songs. They just came to him. And when asked if he can do that magic again, he said no. Bob Dylan believes in the idea that the muse stops coming. And it may never return…
The idea that his environment had changed way too much from where he started.
WHY THE MUSE STOPS VISITING
When creators of any kind achieve levels of success, especially financial, the original intention or mindset can shift. Your creative environment can change.
The muse likes where you were when you began. It’s attracted to that original energy and space.
The muse wasn’t interested in visiting Bob anymore. Maybe even repulsed by the new people who surrounded fame or money. Does Bob still make music? Sure. But he knows…. the magic is gone.
THE CREATIVE SPACE
You want to create or have a space somewhere dedicated to doing your creative work. Picture it as your little pond where them muse likes to hang out. Surround yourself with the the things that inspire you.
You don’t have to have a fancy setup… sometimes it’s just about the little things you surround yourself with. At many times in my life my “space” was just a corner in the kitchen or dining room. But there was always a space where I knew the muse would be attracted to.
I also feel like the muse stops coming around when you have a bad energy in general. It can be from having negative people in your life. A job you hate… the muse is attracted to you when you are “in the zone”
Trapping Your Muse
There are some old fun superstitions I like to think about when getting my creative space setup. These are passed down in creative circles and now I’ll share them with you.
Use these in your environment just to inspire yourself or believe that you’ve tricked the muse to hang around in your creative space.
#1 Keep an open book within your workspace. Legends say that the muse cannot resist reading or looking at an open book. Turn the page every day.
#2 The Cut-Up method. Cut out random lines (sentences) from books or magazines. and stay them somewhere. The muse spirit will be trapped trying to make them make sense, and waiting to show you. By the way, the cut-up method was how David Bowie and Bob Dylan wrote many of their most famous songs.
#3 A Dry Erase Scribble - Keep the scribble visible somewhere. Works exactly like the cut-up method.
🔥This Week’s DrawingCHALLENGE!
This week’s drawing prompt is…
TRAPPING YOUR MUSE…
Be sure to tag #drawordieclub on the platform of your choice so we can all find each other (we’re mostly on instagram) Maybe we’ll feature your art in future livestreams and content!
✏️☠️♣️ Join 91 others in the DAILY DRAWING CLUB!!!
We’re at 91 members and counting in daily drawing club! Help support the club with five bucks a month and get some nice perks including a quarterly sticker, daily prompts and more. CHECK IT OUT HERE! STAY SHARP!!!!
OKAY! by the time you read this I’ll be up in Boston! Hope to meet some of you this week in person!
I really like the idea of creating a space to attract the Muse, and keep them occupied while they wait for you. My studio needs a clean up and a shake up anyway.
I really like the idea of creating a space to attract the Muse, and keep them occupied while they wait for you. My studio needs a clean up and a shake up anyway.