Whether you’re a writer, musician, artist, or another creative type, there is that energy inside you that spurs you on. Tells you to keep creating, keep working, for your stories need to be told.

Some folks call it the muse, others call it blessings from a goddess, others call it inspiration or God. No matter what you label it, the key thing we all need to remember from time to time is to pamper it. Your brain requires new input (museums, colorful paintings, a great film, a lovely book, etc.) in order to get new and fresh ideas. If you’re constantly at the canvas or the keyboard, it’s tempting to keep working and never give yourself a break.

This is counterproductive. The key is to offer a balance. Yes, do the work. Do not give in to resistance. But you must feed your muse, too. It will make all the difference.

Ideas:

– Walk in the park (or just around the block if you’re in a big city)

– See a movie

– Go have a picnic outside

– Take another driving route from the one you usually do

– See paintings in a museum

– Visit Pinterest to see some colorful and inspiring photos.

Pamper your muse. She will pay you back tenfold.

Happy weekend, all! I know, based on tweets and emails from friends, that many of you have snow on the ground right now. And it’s SUPER chilly in the South, a rare thing for this time of year. But the good news is, we can always write indoors or do something fun and creative on the weekend :) I’m guest blogging today about writing and music over at my Twitter friend Keri Neal’s blog. You can read the post here. What type of music do you like when doing tasks, or do you prefer silence?