Finding a Creative Muse
Elvis the sheep.
Given the name of this site, it will come as no surprise that we like to create in the countryside, but does that simply refer to a location, or something more?
Creativity requires inspiration, and though the countryside can provide that by the bucket load, it can sometimes be hard to see how. When you’re stuck in a bit of a rut creatively, constantly searching for a muse can seem to do more harm than good. You end up chasing something that can only have real value if found organically.
This is where the countryside, or any part of nature, can help. Immersing yourself in the outdoors not only has a calming effect, it can clear your mind enough to let it wander at will. You may spy a shape or pattern that unconsciously resonates, and sparks a tendril of thought that leads you back to those creative projects.
Years ago, there was a day when I found myself sat on a train, not particularly thinking about work and staring out the window idly. My eyes focused in on a cobweb stuck to the window itself and I thought how beautiful it was. The next morning as I walked the dog I saw another cobweb covered in morning dew and suddenly these two cobwebs became a fabric in my mind, and sparked the beginning of a new project.
I remembered this experience recently when searching for inspiration, and instead of focusing on the work I had to produce, I sketched what surrounded me instead: the bees, the branches and the horns of our sheep, Elvis. The latter took me back to the work I had put to one side, and still inspires aspects of what I do today.
If you want to find your creative muse, think about why you create and what excites you. Find a situation that combines the two and lose yourself in these moments - the inspiration will come.