Five things that may inspire you to write

Muse is unpredictable. It comes and goes as it pleases, and you’re most unfortunate if it does in the wrong time–comes in the shower, in an ungodly hour, or in the car while you can’t stop to pen an idea; then leaves at the precise time your laptop opens to MS Word, once you hold your pen and your plain sheet waits to be messed, or when you’re pressed by a deadline.

You might have this belief that muse or inspiration is something you wait for. You can imagine it to be moving at its own will, jumping from one artist to another. Thing is, if you badly need the muse to be productive, you better change this mindset. Instead, believe that muse is constantly with you.

Muse is your wildly creative friend who gets ecstatic one minute then dozes off on the next. She probably does not have good control of her energy, for she spends it all when bright ideas hit her. But pardon her for that–because rest assured that she is a willing friend who won’t mind being shaken awake every time you need her help. Here are five things that might make your muse bolt upright from slumber:

1. Beautifully-written pieces. When you need inspiration, you can turn a leaf from your favorite book, read aloud a good poetry, or scan your collection of well-expressed fragments, phrases or sentences. Absorb these writers’ inspiration until you find yourself attempting to write beautifully-written pieces of your own.
   
2. Other art forms. Unleash the artist in you through indulging yourself in other art forms. Listen to classical or instrumental music, paint, sketch, or create some music yourself. Find other art activities that will stimulate that creative part of your brain–which, if theories are true, is the same brain portion that you need to compose good literature.
   
3. Poetic movies. Movies like Dead Poets Society, Lord of the Rings, Saving Mr. Banks and more have poetic dialogues, quaint set-up, and magnificent background music. It’s amazing how movies can touch, feed, and inspire almost all your senses at the same time. Who knows? Poetic movies might be the inspiration you need to form poetic lines, create magical worlds, and build unique characters of your own.
   
4. Writing dreams. Recall why you do what you do. Take hold of your journal or dream notebook or whatever scrap of paper you used to keep your list of dreams. Read it every day if you must. Read it every morning. Read it before sitting at your writing desk. A wise professor once said, “Humans tend to forget; hence, we need to always make a way to remember.”
   
5. Prayer. You may be one of those writers who see their passion/skill/career as a calling. If you feel that you are a lauded or anointed or gifted sort of writer, then know that this excellence doesn’t come entirely from you. When you feel empty of great words, you can pray to the Source of all goodness and beauty and wisdom. Pray to the Source of words. Ask help from that Greater Force who chose you, and you won’t be ignored.

Staying inspired is impossible, but it is definitely doable. Sure, it takes discipline, initiative, and determination to keep the muse awake–but you can and you will, for you are the muse’s master.