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Lately, there’s been an animal inhabiting my body. I feel it stretching, growing. I sense it in my blood stream, infiltrating my entire being. My hands, they itch as they open and close with the urge to take action in spite of what I want.

This creature is well known to me. It sleeps for long stretches, then bursts forth with great inspiration and a need for action. At times we are in complete sync, and at other times, it rails against my being like it is now. It is my need to create.

Humans are unique in that we can create for no other reason than the enjoyment of it. We create art, a product that has no other purpose than to feed our souls with beauty, powerful emotions, and to give cause for deep thoughts. We are the only animal on earth that does this.

And yet, we may generate amazing forms of art and produce great bodies of work, but do we actually create it?

I love the mythic legend of the Muses, the nine daughters of Zeus (king of the gods) and Mnemosyne (the goddess of memory). Their purpose was to whisper inspirations into the minds of the mortal beings of earth to arouse the passion for the creation of truly god and goddess worthy art . If you had the support of a muse, you would be blessed to bring forth masterful work.

The idea that art is created through us rather than from us, intrigues me. When inspiration hits and the head gets filled with wondrous ideas, you have to ask, where did those ideas come from?

If you have ever had a creative epiphany, like the image of a completed piece of art, or a musical riff that suddenly starts repeating in your head, or even the sudden answer to a pressing problem, then you have experienced a gift from the Muses. Or so the theory goes.

But what happens if you do nothing with this gift of inspiration? Maybe you are hording it deep inside, waiting for the perfect opportunity to bring it forth, afraid that if you share it when it is not “perfect” you will have lost your chance at that one great creative idea.

The reality is, by not sharing this inspiration that has been bestowed on you, you dishonor the gift. The idea has been created. It can not be unmade. As such, it will seek out another soul who will manifest it into reality. Maybe not exactly as you envisioned it because that would have been your unique contribution to the process. But at it’s essence, the inspiration remains intact.

You will know this to be true if you have ever harbored an idea that one day, when you have more time or money or perceived skill, you plan create. It may have been a craft idea, a storyline for a novel, a time saving invention, maybe even a plan for an epic adventure. Then, a month, year or years later, find it created by another person. You did not act when the gift was given so it was offered up to someone else.

Humans are meant to create. It is as essential to life as breathing and eating. Every thought we produce has the potential for creation, and our job, is to manifest it into reality. We can not move forward in life if we do not create.

“Ah” you say, “But I don’t have a creative bone in my body. I can’t even draw a stick person.” Creativity takes on many forms, not just the creation of art. If you have ever acted on something using you own unique perspective, or imagined a different solution to a problem, than you are in fact a creative person.

Think about it. Humans are always creating. We create thoughts, ideas, even love and then manifest them into actions, material things and relationships. Our soul is nourished by the things we manifest. Without them, humans would have no passion, no desire, or no reason to live.

So what about this animal inside of me that I talk about? Well it’s really my soul. She is telling me it is time to move forward by creating something new. My soul is seeking nourishment and she is making it be known that I have great capacity within me to manifest wondrous things. We all do.

But do I wait for the Muses to bless me with inspiration? Do I bear this dis-ease in my body until inspiration and creation sync up? Well, that’s the thing, inspiration is rewarded to those who have faith in the creative process and not the other way around. Sometimes you must apply effort whether there is inspiration or not and to take the leap into creativity with complete faith that genius will appear.

And the Muses? They reward the faithful, the souls who are driven to create whether their genius is sparked or not. That is what my inner animal is compelling me to do. I can ignore it and stay stationary in life, going about my business day after day, or I can honor my souls desire to explore the unknown and then create something out of it. Whether the Muses reward me with divine inspiration or not.

What about you? Are you waiting to be inspired? Are you waiting for that one perfect idea to hit, that one lucky break that will catapult you to the next level?  Or are you willing to honor the process and get on with the work of creating by becoming you own Muse instead.