Where Does the Muse Find You?

I’m curious: Where are you when the muse finds you? Are you standing at the sink, dreamily washing dishes? Are you driving in your car? Poking around Pinterest?

For me, many creative downloads take place when I’m away from the studio. When I get inspired while out on a walk or a run, I make sure I remember my idea by recording it in a voice memo. I don’t care who stares at me!

Another place where the muse finds me is in the shower (my muse—like my daughter—isn’t into giving me privacy!). I use a fun product called Shower Notes so I can record my ideas before they disappear with the soapy water.

I think that the muse is whispering to us constantly, but we are only receptive to it when we clear our minds and drop our guard. That’s why we so often become inspired during “mindless” tasks like showering or cleaning.

Are you giving the muse a chance to be heard? When we’re faced with a boring task like cleaning or commuting, it’s tempting to want to fill our minds with entertainment. Sure, it’s a lot more fun to clean while listening to a podcast or audiobook (and there can be some inspiration found there), but to truly tune into our own creativity, we need to allow for silence. If not, we won’t hear the muse whispering, and she’ll take that idea to someone else!

Where are you when you receive inspiration? What activities trigger your creativity? And what do you do to capture these gems? This is a topic that means a lot to me, so I’d love it if you’d send an email and let me know.

p.s. Thanks to my friend Alicia for snapping the photo (above) of me during our coffee date last week. She captured an honest, relaxed moment during what's been a very active month.