Tuesday, November 29, 2016
I could use to be a-Muse-d….
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| If only life were like the movies, because I could sure use a visit from these goddesses.... |
That it had a clear-cut narrative, where what’s good and evil is clear, and after a long struggle both heroes and villains earn their just rewards. Oh and it wouldn’t hurt if all the major plot threads got neatly wrapped up by the end.
Then there are days I really wish I was in a movie.
Why?
Because, like in those films I mentioned, I’m at a point where I can’t quite seem to overcome an obstacle and could use some clever plot device or even a cliché or two to help me on my hero’s journey.
I’m not talking about “Clash of The Titans” (the 1981 Ray Harryhausen classic, not that terrible 2010 remake) epic-type help where the Greek g-ds send Perseus all manner of magical weapons and a robotic owl to help him through his trials.
No, I’m more thinking along the lines of 1980’s “Xanadu.”
"Xanadu?"
Yes, you read that right.
“Xanadu!”
Uh-huh.
"XANADU?!!!"
You got it.
Of all the great movies
in all the world you
could choose from,
you're telling me you'd pick that mess of a musical starring Olivia Newton-John! The only thing good about it was its soundtrack. And you want to live in that movie!!????
Exactly! And let me tell you why.
First, if a personal visit from a perky and lovely Olivia Newton-John and music from the Electric Light Orchestra can’t lift your spirits, then my friends there is something very, very wrong with you.
Secondly, everyone at some time in their life needs a little divine inspiration.
You see since the summer ended, I’ve been feeling kind of down and worn out and have lacked the motivation to do much of anything. All I seem to want to do lately is just veg out in front of the TV.
Even my creative outlets, like building stuff in my shop or writing, hasn’t been able to overcome this overwhelming feeling of ennui.
I’ve tried to force myself to go out to the shop and work or sit down and write for a while, figuring that once I got going I’d feel better. But it didn’t work. It just felt like I was going through the motions.
It’s like all my inspiration has been sucked out of me, so much so that I’ve actually begun looking for excuses to avoid my usually creative endeavors. And you know there is something wrong when I choose to spend my weekends raking the leaves or cleaning up the yard rather than doing the things I always complain about not having enough time to do.
I guess the best way I can describe my current predicament is that I feel like my muse has left me.
Which brings me back to my point about wishing I were in the movie “Xanadu.”
You see in this unfairly criticized film (suck it RottenTomatoes!), a talented artist stuck in a dreary job painting album covers for record-store windows meets a mysterious woman who inspires him to go out and fulfill his dreams. Only in this case that mysterious woman turns out to be the muse Terpsichore, one of the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts in Greek mythology.
And right now I could really use a muse sent by the g-ds to re-inspire me and help me finish the book I’ve been trying to write for at least half my life. It also wouldn’t hurt if that muse looked like Olivia Newton-John!
I know this funk will eventually end. I get into them every now and then, usually around this time of year. I also know that somewhere along the line, something will come along and set off a spark in the back of my mind and my creative juices and motivation will come roaring back like a blaze in California’s drought-starved forests.
But until then, I guess, I’ll have to make my own “Magic” and make myself feel like “I’m Alive” again by putting on my earphones and listening to the “Xanadu” soundtrack over and over again.
Unless of course, Olivia “Suddenly” decides to drop by. I’d be “All Over the World” with delight and think that’d definitely provide me with enough motivation and inspiration to finish my book.
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