#1444 - the muse
"This is the other secret that real artists know and wannabe writers don't. When we sit down each day and do our work, power concentrates around us. The Muse takes note of our dedication. She approves. We have earned favor in her sight. When we sit down and work, we become like a magnetized rod that attracts iron filings. Ideas come. Insights."— Steve Pressfield from The War of Art
I'm not sure I fit Pressfield's idea of a real artist, but after over 1400 posts, I've learned that the Muse rewards dedication. I used to wait for inspiration before I even opened my laptop. Most of the time, I didn't start writing at all. This daily practice taught me that inspiration follows actions. Whatever I want to do, the first stop is to begin. Inspiration will come once the Muse realizes I genuinely want it and won't give up.
Yet, it may take time.
The Muse loves to test my resolve. She's also fickle. I always wonder if she will show up or not. There are days on which I sit down writing for hours in vain. She doesn't show up, and I'm left with meaningless words and the bitter feeling of having wasted my time. Yet, I know she is just testing me. And hidden amid that heap of words, she probably left some clues I can't see now.
I just have to show up again. And again.