When people live with a spouse, partner or roommate, they
relish their space. Private moments give them time and aloneness. After
a busy day at work, the rush of silence and quiet that greets them as they open
the front door offers a sense of relief and peace. Even the bathroom may
provide much needed solitude if others are nearby.
Where we are in our lives dictates our choices and
preferences. I once knew a woman who had two young children. As an aspiring
writer, she sat under a hair dryer to compose so the noise of her children
playing and jabbering would not distract her.
With a bustling family, my time alone was a hot soak in
the bath. I could read, jot down ideas for articles, or simply enjoy that brief
time alone when the family was asleep or away
.
Now rejuvenation comes via creating. I can lose myself
completely with brush in hand at a canvas or with keyboard beneath my
fingertips. Solitude is precious, if I can find it. Most of us have to settle
for the peripheral noises in the next room or over our heads as we seek to
express our dreams or expose our inner demons.
Even sleeping is a ritual that engages preferences unique
to each of us. My son-in-law and his family require overhead fans or plug-in
fans to provide “white noise” that muffles whatever sounds might be happening
around them. The whir of the blades creates virtual lullabies that whisper them
to sleep.
Some artistic people have rituals they perform before
starting a new project:
·
Wearing of a favorite shirt to help them
think
·
Drinking a cup of coffee or tea to get their
blood fired up
·
Special background music in some cases,
silence in others
·
Writing at dawn in their pajamas while their brain
is fresh
·
Chewing gum or smoking a cigarette while they
think
·
Saying a simple pray or chant to open the
mind up
Sometimes these rituals help
us get in touch with the muse, and sometimes they do not. But if we believe
that they help, they probably will.
Even baseball pros have a
number of tools they employ for good luck. Rubbing a special coin or a good
luck piece builds confidence. Wearing a favorite pair of socks worn in a
winning game may help performance. We all use whatever little gimmicks or
tricks we can come up with. If we believe that they will help, they usually do.
For people of faith, prayer seems to hold the key to inspiration and success.
Do you have any winning
habits or rituals that help you work? Do you have a good luck piece that calls
the muse? Please share your great ideas and thoughts in the comments.
Featured
Artist
Lisa.C from Poissy, France; her humorous and endearing style is a mixture of collage and art nouveau. As a professional artist and illustrator, Lisa is able to capture a long ago time and place while seeming to be cutting edge. Check out Lisa’s web site!
Lisa.C from Poissy, France; her humorous and endearing style is a mixture of collage and art nouveau. As a professional artist and illustrator, Lisa is able to capture a long ago time and place while seeming to be cutting edge. Check out Lisa’s web site!
Carol, I live alone and sometimes, when I'm particularly busy, I can go five or six days without speaking with a single person - and I love it! (I'm an Introvert). But I think my Muse has moved in with me and I sometimes wish she'd go on holiday so that I get a chance to put the ideas she gives me into practice . . . ars longa, via brevis :D (yes, I know that doesn't mean what it sounds as if it means - but it sounds just how I often feel!)
ReplyDeleteI'm an introvert until I get around people; then I'm a talker, and I love to hear what others have to say. I do work best alone, but I live with my sweetheart and husband. He's a dear and allows me to be who and what I am. Since I raised six children, I seem to be able to work with all kinds of commotion around me and not get disturbed.
DeleteWe do what we do because it's who we are! Thanks for writing, dear friend.