I don’t know about you, but my creative muse is a sneaky little sucker. She shows up at the most inopertune times, flinging ideas at my head faster than I could possibly catch them. I might be fighting traffic, standing in line at the grocery store, dozing off to sleep…basically, she picks the times when my computer is either nowhere in sight or has been tucked in for the night. Sometimes she shows up when I’m busy with a client project and really don’t need the distraction.

There have been times that I’ve ignored her, tucking her ideas into a mental folder to be accessed at a more convenient time. She doesn’t like this game, however. To spite me, she usually sneaks in and snatches the thoughts right out of my folder, or she moves them to some obscure file that I’d never even think to look in. She’s crafty like that.

So I’ve learned not to cross my muse. I’ve got to play her game if I want to have any hope of creativity.

Here are a few tips to help you capture your own creative muse:

• Buy a small notebook and carry it wherever you go. Stick it in your purse, your car, your back pocket…whatever, just keep it with you at all times. Use it to jot down whatever ideas your muse throws your way.
• Don’t throw out any ideas, judging them as no good right off the bat - they may seem farfetched at first glance, but you just might be able to mold them into something useful when you have more time to think them through.
• Once a week (or once a month, or whatever schedule you choose – just pick one and stick with it), go through your notes and use them to put your blogs and/or articles together. Trust me, it’s much easier to write when you’ve got some fresh ideas than if you’re staring at a blank slate!
• Don’t discriminate against the “little” ideas. You’d be surprised at how often simple thoughts can balloon into amazing, full-fledged plans of action if you let them stew a while.

I hope these tips help you catch your own sneaky creative muse, but if you need extra help, just give me a shout.  I’d love to help you brainstorm and draw out your ideas before they escape you for good. If you’re a die-hard do-it-yourselfer, check out my new free web copywriting report, ”Top 10 Copywriting Tips: Writer Killer Web Copy That Will Sell Your Services!“ 

Happy writing!