A New Prayer to the Muse
Letter Zero.75
Dear friend,
I woke up today with a vague memory that in The War of Art, Steven Pressfield had a prayer to the muse that he recited to start his day. That felt like what I needed this morning so I went to track it down.
(BTW, The War of Art is in my top 5 books, if you haven’t read it I give it my biggest recommendation. It may be the greatest self-help book ever written.)
When I found Pressfield’s prayer, I realized it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. Instead of a typical prayer, it’s simply the opening to Homer’s Odyssey, which he uses to invoke the muse. I hesitate to badmouth a classic work of literature, but Homer’s Odyssey is a tough read. I won’t burden you by pasting it here. (It’s on page 119 of The War of Art if you really want to track it down.)
Since there’s no chance I am going to recite Homer’s Odyssey every morning, if I want a prayer to the muse I need to write it myself. I’ve tried to take the gist of Homer along with Pressfield’s explanation and I remixed it heavily with my personal spin. Here it is...
O Divine Muse,
Sustain in me this song, grant me another day that I may hear the verse that has yet to be written.
I am not worthy to be your vessel, yet I ask that you guide my ship as it skirts the rocky shores of resistance, the invisible snares that have claimed the wind of minds less foolish than mine.
Have mercy on me for I am lost, uncertain if I can make this thing that I am not equipped to build. Fill my reserves one more time, grant me one new thought, even the tiniest grain upon which I can rally my energy around.
Should I find a way home through my wandering, on that great day, allow my work to live a life of its own. Let it break every mold that attempts to restrain it, let it flow freely to fill whatever shape it touches.
This I ask one more time, O Divine Muse.
I should probably apologize if the word “prayer” disgruntles anyone, this isn’t meant to be overly spiritual. Thoughts like this are a way to put yourself in an open mode conducive to creative work. I think most creators generally sense that our best work seems to arise from something that seems outside of ourselves. So insert this prayer into whatever belief system you hold, and I think it’s pretty universal. I hope your prayers are answered. Stay creative.
Your friend,
Ade
P.S. The Kickstarter campaign. I mentioned last week has been fully funded! Thank you to everyone who has supported me. It really means a lot to me. As a heads up, I will probably use this email to ask for funding at least once more before this thing ends in the coming weeks.