Today and tomorrow, I want to do something different and share excerpts from a book I published a few years ago. It’s called The Artist’s Suitcase: 26 Essentials for the Creative Journey. It’s a short, fun read that will help you increase your creativity in writing and your other creative work.

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B is for Blank Page

The blank page represents the space where you create your art. It can be a computer, studio, canvas, or a literal blank page. When you look behind the page, you’ll see two creatures: the Monster and the Muse.

First, there is the Monster. The Monster feeds on fear and likes to taunt you with these kinds of thoughts:

This won’t be any good.

Nobody likes what you’re doing.

You’ll never be a real artist.

When are you going to give up these silly dreams?

Every time you think about quitting, you feed the Monster. Every time you tell yourself your art doesn’t matter, you feed the Monster. Every time you listen to the naysayers and the doubters, you feed the Monster. Every time you let your dreams slip out the back door of your life, you feed the Monster.

Steven Pressfield calls this force “Resistance.” In his landmark book, The War of Art, he writes, “Resistance has no strength of its own. Every ounce of juice it possesses comes from us. We feed it with power by our fear of it.”  The Monster feeds on fear, and you must starve it to death.

But there is also the Muse. The Muse is a magical creature that brings out the best in you. The Muse speaks words of life, hope, and beauty:

You were born for this.

You’re making a difference in people’s lives.

There are people who love what you’re doing.

You have amazing potential.

The Muse feeds on faith and it is the wellspring of creativity within you. (As a person of faith, I believe God has an awful lot to do with this.) The Muse gives you the power to inspire, teach, and bless others.

Every time you pick up your pen or paintbrush, you feed the Muse. Every time you put your head down and do the work, you feed the Muse. Every time you improve your skills, you feed the Muse. Every time you serve someone with your art, you feed the Muse.

Look behind every blank page and you’ll find the Monster and the Muse. One feeds on fear. The other feeds on faith.

Which one will you feed?