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What do you give your Muse for Christmas?
by terena on December 25, 2007
Mine requires a great deal of chocolate, preferably Alter Eco, but she’ll take Hershey’s in a pinch. So this year I gave my Muse Alter Eco Dark Chocolate with Almonds, as well as Dagoba Xocolatl. It’s wonderful to watch her stand completely still, every snake frozen in delight, transfixed by the luscious, lingering, delights of the taste and smell of creamy, dark chocolate. When she gets too belligerent or stays away too long, I crack the paper covering of a dark chocolate bar and suddenly my Muse appears, all smiles, every snake drooling over the smell of that candy.
I wrapped the bars of chocolate in gold colored tissue paper and handed them to her, saying, “Thank you.”
She smiled. “Shouldn’t I be saying thank you for the package?”
“No. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and although you can be a serious bitch when you want to be, you do know how to push me in the right direction, regardless of whether or not I want to go there.”
“Security is over-rated. Creative people need risks to stay productive.”
“You’re right. So thank you for pushing me into starting a publishing company. And thank you for forcing me to keep working on my novel. And thank you for dressing up like Eddie.”
She took the package of chocolate and sniffed it, then grinned even bigger. “You’re welcome.” Then she ripped the paper into shreds and devoured the chocolate like a vampire feeding on fresh blood.
Muses are a gift, and a curse. They drive us, empower us, force us to create and then demand we take the applause and criticism. They build our obsessions and feed our desires, sometimes keeping us up at night with fevers and delusions. They make us hungry for things we’ve never imagined and will never find. Maybe that’s why so many writes like to drink?
Without my Muse, I would be calm and safe. I would be empty. So bring on the next obsession and hunger! I can take it! As long as I have enough chocolate to keep her under control.
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Jacob. I love your take on dealing with Muses. Mind if I post your comment on my blog? I’d love to see what my Muse has to say about it.
– terena (12/29 at 29-Dec 22:01 -05:00)
Terena,
Sure post away!
What I get from Blake--the muse as a challenging Nemesis, to be transformed, not meekly followed and obeyed.
– Jacob Russell (12/30 at 30-Dec 09:05 -05:00)
Page 1 of 1 pages of comments
Like your dog… never give anything, without demanding some sign of submission first. Who’s the Alpha?
The Muse(s) is(are) NOT YOUR FRIEND(s).
If you don’t get that, you’ve lost it.
It’s all about, who’s gonna be in charge.
You show them you’re gonna be their patsy… too bad for you.
The Muses want ENGAGEMENT, not surrender.
Of course, you can never be the Boss, absolutely… but to keep the tension, like Jacob wrestling with the Malach...no other way to get their blessing.
Trust them, the way you trust Death. Death will win. You don’t have to make concessions. You can’ fight with all your heart and all your soul and all your strengh… and death will still win. That is, will not be defeated. But if you give in… then Death wins. If you give in to the Muses--you lose. The only “victory” is together. That means resisting them with all your mind and all your heart and all your might.
Trust them. Trust them, like Death, that they are stronger than you.
Do that, and they’ll find a way to bless your work.
– Jacob Russell (12/26 at 26-Dec 21:12 -05:00)