Cue the Muse

735 word TED Talk listicle thing about the creative process



  • Parlay real-world fascinations and fantasies into scenarios/story elements.

The greatest stories come of passion, even ones that are light and funny. If the seed element of the story was something the author loved, found himself moved by or got him excited, those sensations and sensibilities will ignite the story. This is the ultimate gift from the author to the world.


  • Compare & contrast.

Our brains are wired to compare what’s new to what we already know. The process of doing this, of juxtaposing fresh sensory input onto existing frameworks, mixes up what we think we know and spins ideas into fresh color. It also brings long-held notions into the spotlight; some great stories have been borne out of fresh perspective, of asking questions about what we hold true and whether we still should, or whether something needs to change.


  • Go through the familiar with fresh eyes.

There is no better way to hit the refresh button on one’s life and mind than to sift through old stuff. This could mean your own photos, tickets stubs, knicknacks, etc., or something like paying mindful attention to the buildings you walk by all the time. Old stories from your own life on which you now have some years of time and perspective are game to be taken for a new spin in the present.


  • Look at the ordinary in an extraordinary light.


There is something remarkable in everything everywhere. Aspire to develop and keep in practice the skilled vision it takes to see the world in miracles and magic.


  • Extrapolate and embellish.


Use an object (thing, idea, person, whatever) as a seed. This is a good exercise. People-watchers like me often find themselves supposing things about the lives of strangers, speculating about their character and tendencies, lifestyle, job, relationships, etc.. This is a good example of what I mean.


  • Listen to music


“All art constantly aspires towards the condition of music”, said the wise Walter H. Pater. Even if you’re not paying attention, music works. It physically changes your brain chemistry. It can bring something outside yourself and something within into the same frequency. See what music you love does to you and compare that to how you hope your work feels to others. The effects of music reach deeper than we conciously perceive and they are nourishment for the creative mind. Music is primal.


  • Use the other arts and the natural world.


Saturate your senses. Zone out or meditate, making that happen in various environments. All that’s fresh, remarkable, dream-like, wild and profound can enter your head when it’s quietly paying attention. Bonus: Walking around in the world is good for your brain anyway.


  • Asking the Muse out on dates. Consistently.


Schedule regular creative time. Even if nothing happens, keep the date and don’t leave early. Habituating your mind toward a time and place it knows it’s supposed to be working creatively really works. Your mind catches on and co-operates and you’ll find yourself lookingforward to 4pm or 2:30 in the morning, when you know your mind is going to be at its best.


  • By playing with words and language like toys.


When you read words and phrases that move or intrigue you, write them down and look them up. Remove the garbage from loaded labels & phrases; try recalling or deducing their pure, original meanings. Blast old descriptive habits and find ingenious new ways to put the usual things across. Consciously expand your vocabulary. Find the etymology behind words you like or love – the stories about how some words or their usage came about are fascinating themselves. Learning them engenders a stronger and more intimate knowledge of your language and a better ability to use it to think up intriguing original stories.


All of these ways are predicated on a determination to be observant. Being a creative mind is a matter of habitually looking through a lens of thoughtful perception and curiosity. This lens can color all of your waking experience, where anything may be lit with the special potential for the origins for or elements of a new story. It’s a matter of re-acquainting yourself with the rich textures and dimensions of the imagination you’ve been developing since childhood, dreaming big, remembering the most exciting questions you have for yourself and the world, watching your own spirit come into focus, and tapping it.