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Home of my madness and my whoring bitch of a Muse

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rosalarian:

Angelina Jolie had a double mastectomy, in case you hadn’t heard. How dare she remove those ticking time bombs from her chest, amiright? Like, hasn’t she learned by now that her body is public domain and we all get to vote on what she does with it? Sheesh, how selfish can ya get.

(via str4ges)

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Anonymous asked: I've finished three big art projects over two years, always having a feminine muse to help encourage and inspire me to better quality and detail and creativity along the way. Well, I dumped that muse - even going so far as to write a poem "No more the muse is she". Now I'm in the doldrums of the creative process. I know this part of the creative process is necessary, somewhat of a time to concentrate on objective concrete matters, but I don't want to wait!

I’m not entirely sure what to say and suggest, but I’ll give it a go. 

Firstly - muses are great, but they can also be destructive. In ancient Celtic tradition, they used to have something called a Lenansidhe - she would inspire artists to do great things, and would drain them of life in the process, meaning that their art would be great, but their lives fleeting. The reality is, art is just like that - the concentration and the effort that goes into doing a large project can have a profound affect on other aspects of your life. Not only the quality of your life - your health, your social interaction, and so forth, but also you’re understanding of the world around you and your objectivity.

Here’s the thing though - you do not need a muse to be creative. Muses come in all shapes and sizes, and people have a different understanding of them. I like to thing of muses as embodiment of inspiration - which is why I find them dangerous. Having such a tangible force of inspiration can almost make you obsessive, and whilst it’s good to be passionate about your work, it’s not healthy to get to drawn in - or else, as you said you lose your objectivity.  

Now, I would be a hypocrite if I told you that after three big projects during such a short period, you should take a break - because I know how difficult that is. But if you have dumped your muse, and you do have a chance for a breather, you should take it. 

I understand how you feel. This period is kind of like having a craving - a desperate hunger - but you don’t know what it is you want. I’ll tell you this now - trying to think about it will only get you in a tizzle.

So how do I deal with things like this? Simple - during these short pauses between projects - I take the time to look over old work very loosely  I write short little stories or do tiny creative writing exercises  I read plenty of books, watch a new series someone has been badgering me about, or - and this is the most important thing - I go out and about. I spend time with friends, I go to new places, I listen to new music.

Inspiration has a way of jumping you when you’re not thinking about it. And being inspired by something you see and experience  rather than by a person (real or subconscious) tends to be more healthy. You create your own muse, and you control it.

I’m not sure that’s been any help, but if you want to talk some more Anon, I would love to. :)