Creative Solutions and Inspirations from the Modern Day Muses

Paying Attention to Possibilities with Aha-phrodite

By Jill Badonsky, M.Ed.

PLUS: Meet the Muse Aha-phrodite

"Unless we learn to open up each moment and squarely face what it presents to us, our life simply hurtles toward its certain conclusion. To be able to inhabit emotional/feeling time, we need to expand our moment, to wedge it open so we can step inside, linger without fidgeting, and experience what's going on within it." — Stephen Rechtschaffen, M.D.

I would like to acquaint you with a creative concept in the persona of a Muse. The concept is paying attention and the Muse is Aha-phrodite. What does paying attention mean to you in the creative process? If you are so inclined to engage your brain actively in this moment (always a good exercise for strengthening creative muscles), make a list of all the ways your creative process could benefit from paying attention. Go.

Aha-phrodite condones the following methods and reasons for paying attention in the interest of creativity:

1. Pay attention to where and when you get your inspirations. Many of us get them driving, in the shower, on a walk, while cleaning. When you know where you get ideas, next time you need one you can show up there rather than in front of a blank page or canvas.
   
   
2. When you get an inspiration, write it down. When Aha-phrodite knows you covet an idea enough to write it down, she will make more. The brain’s idea generation behavior is also reinforced, the subconscious is cued and more inspirations are likely.
   
   
3. If you don’t have an inspiration, write down small questions about what you want and then in the next week or month — be paying attention for answers, signposts, and a-has. The brain loves questions.
   
   
4. Pay attention to whether you are in default thinking mode or possibility mode. Most of the time we are rehashing situations, judging, following the well worn non-thought of our comfortable ruts, or worrying about the future. When you notice you are doing this, flip an imaginary switch with your hand and make an intention to pay attention to what the present moment has to offer in the way of creative thought. What are you feeling? How can your thoughts be framed creatively? What do you see that can trigger a creative thought? What can you overhear?

Andrew Stanton, the director of the animated hit, Finding Nemo was trying to come up with the sidekick character to Nemo. Sidekick characters are usually rather dopey males. Stanton was distracted by his wife watching Ellen on TV in the next room. He heard Ellen change the subject about five times in one sentence … that’s how he came up with the character for Dory. He did not miss the random circumstantial gift present in the moment because he was paying attention and making a connection.

The world is a smorgasbord of ideas. Ideas await in every emotion, random thought, side-ways glance, billboard, overheard conversation, arbitrary combination of unrelated notions, adjective-noun combination, loose association, wrong turn, indigestion, bird landing on the head of a statue, a song that triggers a memory, a memory that triggers a painting — they are awaiting our undivided attention combined with the possibility of connection.

Find out all the other ways paying attention can deepen your creative process with Aha-phrodite through her journal prompts, brainstorms, stories and quotes in the book, The Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard): 10 Guides to Creative Inspiration for Artists, Poets, Lovers and Other Mortals Wanting to Live a Dazzling Existence. •

Copyright © Jill Badonsky, 2006. All rights reserved.

About the Author | More by Jill Badonsky
Jill Badonsky, M.Ed. is a nationally recognized workshop leader, artist, performer, humorist, and author of the book, The Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard): 10 Guides to Creative Inspiration for Artists, Poets, Lovers and Other Mortals Wanting to Live a Dazzling Existence. She teaches creativity lovers to facilitate classes and workshops based on her book and along with UCLA psychologist, Robert Maurer, she trains people to be Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaches. She can be found lurking at www.themuseisin.com.

11/13/06