Last Monday, I honed in on that time-honoured favourite of the creative life, inspiration vs perspiration.

I was waiting for lightning to strike…

Today, my theme is finding inspiration, particularly when the narrative or a character (or both!) are in a particularly gnarly phase and the Muses have cried “All out, Sisters” and downed tools.

Apollo and the Muses pentyptych, by Charles Meynier, Cleveland Museum of Art

And not only that, but all the strategies mentioned in my posts on Bandersnatch Meters & Vorpal Blades, Zooming In and Out, and Shooting the Rapids of “Why” and “What”, are failing to bear fruit — at which point it’s definitely time to take a break and Do Something Different.

I believe I’ve mentioned this before over the years, but the Doing Something Different is definitely literal, from making a cup of coffee, to going for a walk or a run, or doing some manual task.

A walk in the park, “The Luminaries” style

Gardening and cooking are definitely among my go-to’s, but it doesn’t really matter what one does, so long as it’s something that gets one well away from the writing coalface.

The Japanese Garden, Hamilton Gardens

And sometimes, when the going gets really gnarly, that’s a sure sign it’s time for a real break: whether packing up and heading for the wilderness, taking a road trip*, or booking a holiday somewhere new. Because there really is nothing like experiencing the new and taking real time-out to refresh the creative wells.

Heading for wilderness — or a Misty Mountain Hop!

Then again, sometimes the simple act of making that cup of coffee and musing on its curl of steam is sufficient to see the Return of the Muses. 😀

There goes that mist of steam 🙂

*NB: Noting that a road trip may not be ideal right now, unless one has an EV with range!

(c) Helen Lowe, 2026