Thursday 23 May 2013

ON INSPIRATION by Emily Murdoch

Now you all know how much I loved Emily Murdoch’s debut novel, If You Find Me. If you don’t then read my review here. Well I was so pleased to be asked to host a post from Emily herself, about her inspiration.
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I’m truly honored by the invitation to share this lovely blog space with all of you. Thank you so much!
And I bring with me my Pink Sparkly Dust Of Creative Inspiration.
Alchemic: any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.
Like your very own words into poems, short stories and novels. 
Are you a writer? Writers write. Did you write, today?
You know how to do it. Sit down. Think. Allow what’s clearest and strongest in your heart and mind to form from the alchemy of humanity swirled with divinity, whatever that means to you. God, muse, universal consciousness, whatever you call it: tap in.  
If you feel something, someone else is feeling it. Let the feeling become clothed in words that warm both yourself and others.
Creative courage is necessary. And caution. Are you ready for the truth? The fear of looking, really looking, is a formidable foe. But the best writing is writing that goes for broke, every sentence stamped out of your heart-shaped soul. 
Fear of exposure, fear of failure, fear of your work not being up to par, or as well-executed as your hopeful, perfectionistic, writer’s (painter’s, dancer’s photographer’s, etc.) heart is a pain the artist bears. Only creating more work soothes the ache. And the creative circle rolls on.
Some of us writers fret over every word, every piece of punctuation. When you hear how writers can spend an hour taking out and putting in a comma, some of us know that perfectionistic anguish personally and want to do anything we can to avoid it, not invite it in.
The answer?
Invite it in. 
Embrace the alchemy. Start the raw materials on their golden journey.
As a writer, I’m very prolific, although I don’t share everything I write. One of my driving creative forces is the fact that life is not forever. How arrogant I’d be as an artist, to think otherwise, and in the process, squander the sacred gift of words I was entrusted with in this lifetime. 
All we have is now. 
So, write anything. Write a grocery list, and imagine the different food items, then imagine the man, woman, or child’s hand holding that list, and go from there.
Who is she? How old? What is she wearing? What was she doing before the list? Is she old enough to go to the store alone?
Now, hold out your hand. Take hers in yours. 
Let her tug you along.
SHOPPING LIST:
Bread
Butter
Eggs
Cream
Heart
Soul
Mind
Words
Dreams
Thank you Emily for such an inspirational post.
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If You Find Me is available to buy now and published by Indigo.
To find out more about Emily Murdoch:

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