Respecting the Muse
I remember a hilarious story from a consulting partner I once worked with. His 8-year-old son had asked why he was constantly traveling for work. Sensing an opportunity to earn the respect of this child, the high-flying executive held court on how indispensable he was to clients. Many people from across the continent needed his help, he explained, and he was committed to supporting them. These clients relied on his expert advice, and he was proud of the value he brought to them each week. The son looked up at his father quizzically and said, “If you're so valuable to these clients, why don’t they fly here to see you?”
That story came to mind as I sit here unable to recall the details of an idea I was hoping to write about this week. I now realize that in creative work the sources of inspiration are similar to the consulting partner’s clients. They are the ones who pay the bills. We might think of ourselves as the big shot in the relationship, but we actually play a subordinate role. When an idea calls, you go to wherever it is summoning you. You write it down so as not to forget the details.
As with many aspects of the human condition, Greek mythology had a visual rendering of this dynamic. The Greeks believed inspiration came from the Muses, a chorus of nine nymphs, all daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who whispered into the ear of the creator to spark a fresh flame.
But the Greeks understood this was a fleeting moment of contact between gods and mortals. You had to be ready for it. A Muse appears at unforeseeable, often inopportune, times. If you don’t immediately drop what you're doing and listen carefully to what she has to say, the idea flickers out in the wind.
One of the most inflexible laws of creative work it to respect the Muse. It means being open to unexpected moments of inspiration, and ready with a pen and paper to capture each fragment of thought. Over time, the fragments combine to form a complete picture.
After this week’s humbling reminder, I re-commit to honoring a vital law.