Chasing Down The Muse: Spilling out everywhere with creativity

The fog-enshrouded morning brings the frantic cackle of a neighbor’s hen mingled with the usual early sounds. The hen resonates like an old woman enjoying a bawdy joke. This makes me smile.

The joke is really on me, and it is not a bawdy one at all, but more of a “gotcha!” No wonder the hen cackles. My mind refuses to come under my control in order to write. Instead, it seems nowhere and everywhere at once, spilling forth and then retracting into pure nonsense.

“Spilling.” Is that it? Stream-of-consciousness writing that just spews forth. It will be an editor’s nightmare. My critic is already having a field day. Oh, well, here goes.

Breathe relax listen let go let go let go too much because my mind is just spewing out random bits of thought…trust in the spill… chaos …trust in our nation’s our state’s leaders trust in ourselves to manage the day to day affairs of life? Questions questions questions running rampant…health insurance costs trillions in debt Afghanistan Guantanamo Pakistan Taliban a desert of words blowing sand everywhere in still streaming mind that dips into the mind mix like bobbing for apples Halloween’s coming after all guess that’s it…brain cramps and spills out …

And there goes that hen again only this time not laughing she seems to really be working it… have to wonder how much of this metaphor as I continue this spilling of whatever comes into my mind…a visual of multiple holes spewing forth makes me laugh once again for just a moment as fingers continue to fly over the keyboard.

Working quickly try not to think spill spill spill creativity…could it be the start of some creative link or mere babble and clucking like that darned hen that spews so many times a day have to wonder if her spewing is creative laying. As I wonder my mind wanders in tandem spilling and holding and what’s it all about Alfie who’s Alfie anyway and there is Jude Law in my mind well that’s not bad at all better than Michael Caine somehow cool eyes and a nice smile think he’s short and small though doesn’t matter …running amok lists and more lists of what will the day bring.

Adrift and a-dream now with blueberries almonds yogurt and cinnamon must be hunger is that all spilling out words can conjure?

Spilled guts spilled milk things past wipe it up move on and get on with it now where was this going when it began toward something creative there’s the critic again saying did it all wrong but that doesn’t get it done does it?

Blank slates and breakfast plates with remembered good friends make things work out and all else forgotten no problems no concerns just things to move off the plate so that ….ah yes creativity that’s where this wanted to go where are the Beatles when I need them Dear Prudence P.S. I Love You gotta move on…

Creative upcycling recycling water shortage global warming can’t melting ice caps be used as water used judiciously omigod where is this taking me talk about spills but that brings to mind more waste with oil spills and the like and the critic shows her ugly head again can’t you think of anything nice to say then don’t say anything mother’s voice once again her birthday coming how to celebrate 93 when she doesn’t care to be here and I don’t want to go there myself guard against that isolation and self-stuff this sounding less creative now move on move on white rabbit at queen’s table one pill makes you small and one so tall the trees outside the window swaying in the morning breeze that moves the fog along and me with it….

Breathe. Relax. Listen. That hen cackles again. OK, I get it. That’s that. Enough spilled words.

Time for a walk about town on the creativity search. Julia Cameron in “The Artist’s Way” says that in order to retrieve your creativity, you need to find it. Still searching, off I go! This is what chasing the muse is about. If you too are walking about, watch your step — there may be mind stuff spilled all over the place.

Writer, artist and creative coach CHERRIL DOTY chases the muse wherever she takes her. Cherril (not the muse) can be reached at (714) 745-9973 or at cherril@cherrildoty.com