Found – One Muse

On By Mick CanningIn inspiration, writing

‘Oh, you’re back.’

‘Well, not really. I’ve been here all the time. I just didn’t have anything to say to you, that’s all.’

‘Why on earth not?’

‘For a start, you don’t listen to me. You keep fannying around with that novel that your heart’s not in, anyway. What is it that you actually want to write? Not that one, at least at the moment.’

‘I’d love to finish it, actually, just get it out of the way.’

‘It’ll still be there when you’re ready to finish it – if you ever are. And if you’re not, it doesn’t matter. Surely you’ve got other stuff you’d rather be working on?’

‘I…’

‘Like, your poetry’s pretty crap, but you enjoy writing it.’

‘Hey! I…’

‘Then there’s the other novel, the one you’ve been faffing around with for years.’

‘Yes…’

‘So work on that one, since you actually do like it, and do a few paintings, for God’s sake. You’ve been saying you’re going to, well get on with it.’

‘I thought a muse was meant to be an inspiration, not a nag.’

‘A muse,’ she replied tersely, ‘will say whatever she thinks necessary to get her author off his lazy butt! Now, what about this pamphlet or brochure you’re meant to be doing at the moment?’

‘The zine?’

She visibly cringed.

‘Yes…that. As far as I can see you’ve been tinkering with it for months but you’ve nothing to show for it.’

‘I…’

‘You seem to have decided on a few of the poems you want to put in it, and a short story, but you haven’t rewritten the essays you wanted to use, haven’t sorted out the photographs and done nothing towards the artwork. You’ve not even decided on a title for the thing yet!’

‘I’ve…’

‘Yes, and that’s another thing. You keep jumping from one thing to another, and never completing anything.’

‘I’ve always thought it’s good to have a couple of projects on the go. When I get stuck on one I can go and work on another.’

‘Yeeessss….a couple you say. Exactly how many have you got on the go at the moment?’

‘Ah, er, I’m not sure…’

‘No? Well roughly how many?’

‘Er…’

‘Very roughly? You don’t actually know, do you? Just finish something! What about the short poem’ -*cringe* – ‘zine you’ve got in bits? As far as I can tell it’s nearer completion than the other one.’

‘Um, I suppose I could…’

‘And I’m not some lifestyle guru, but get out and go for more walks. And listen to more music and read some more books. You’re not reading very much at the moment, are you? And read something you want to read and listen to something you want to listen to. Not because you think you ‘ought’ to, whatever the hell that means. And stay off fricking social media, too. It’s poisonous.’

‘That’s certainly true.’

‘So just see that you do, or I really will be off. I’ll be checking up on you more regularly, now. I can see it’s the only way.’

She’s a tough, unforgiving, so-and-so, my muse.

39 thoughts on “Found – One Muse”

  1. Tough and unforgiving she may be, but it sounds like she gives you focus and direction. Good for her I say.Well Mick, don’t keeep the lady waiting. Hugs
    p.s Could you ask her if she’s seen my muse anywhere, at heir clubhuse maybe. I could really do with reconnecting.

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  5. I like your Muse! She’s spunky, and not afraid to speak her mind. I had to laugh at the exchange about multiple projects. There was a time when tried to keep more than two boats going at the same time at my work, but eventually I learned it just wasn’t useful. I’ll do two, so I can work on #2 while the varnish dries on #1, but otherwise? I’ll start a load of laundry or go grocery shopping. I tried to find the article that finally got my attention, but I can’t find it now. I do remember the title: “Multitasking is a Myth.”

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    1. I know exactly what you mean. There is a valid reason to work on two projects at a time – I can only focus on one of them for so long before I begin to get a little bored, or stuck, and if I can then switch to another I find that helpful. But have too many and nothing gets finished.

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  6. Good to hear she’s back, and feisty as ever. I guess even muses are entitled to a bit of time off in summer (or whatever season they damn well please). Or maybe they spend some time each year at drill sergeant training camp. Hoping mine will be just as severe when she returns from holiday.

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  8. Hi Mick, you need to please send your muse over here at once. I suffer from to many projects and difficulty in finishing things so I really need her. Mine makes things worse by bringing me new ideas and adding to the long list of incomplete and half done projects.

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  10. Ellie Carpenter's avatar Ellie Thompson

    She’s a bit of a bossy boots, your muse, isn’t she? Perhaps, muses have to be bossy to get us to produce something or, at least, start working on something. Now that your muse is asserting herself, has she encouraged you to do any painting? I do love your paintings – you have a real talent for that. As you know, my favourite picture of yours is the blue-painted door displayed on your blog. Have you sold many of that one? Have you ever considered having a ‘gallery’ on your blog page? I used to have one, not for my own work, because I can’t paint for toffee, but for the images I choose to go with my blogs. There are too many to show now, which would make my blog cluttered, so I stopped it. I wondered if you could sell more of your beautiful artwork if it were shown on your page. Sorry, that went a bit off-topic there. X

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    1. I was going to put a gallery page up on here, but it’s still unfinished (and has been for two or three years – see, I never get around to finishing anything!). By chance, though, my next post is a painting, although not one I’ve done recently.

      I’ve not sold any copies of the Blue door, as I only sell the originals; it’s too much hassle and expense to do prints.

      And going off-topic is fine, Ellie. Makes for an interesting conversation! But the muse, yes…she’s on at me to do some painting so I suppose I’d better.

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  13. Yikes! It felt like she was talking to me. My God! Your muse is good. She knows exactly what’s going on. The line, ‘read what you want to read, not what you ought to read. Whatever that means’ is bang on.
    I’m saving this post to read it whenever I need reminding… which is like…umm, most of the time. Thank you for sharing your muse with us, Mick.

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