Gather from rills that run with honey

Socrates: For the poets tell us, don’t they, that the melodies they bring us are gathered from rills that run with honey, out of glens and gardens of the Muses, and they bring them as the bees do honey, flying like the bees? Ion (534a-b)

Writer’s block is frequently discussed as some perverse coupling of procrastination in bed with perfectionism. And The Writer is the rent-by-the-hour dive in which they rendezvous. Writer’s block is often mis-characterised as a flaw or a deficiency with the writer (not the writing, choice of teapot, etc.).

Writers, again and again, describe the experience of writing as an experience of external inspiration, much like historical descriptions of religious revelation. Is block not with writing, not with the writer, not with the unwritten, but with being numb, dumb, blind, bland and deaf to the glens and gardens?

3 thoughts on “Gather from rills that run with honey”

    1. What if we look at writing as, firstly, connecting with, or channeling, the external? Rather than seeing writing as a discrete act of a sole author, creating from an internal well-spring, what if the source (inspiration and energy) is outside us? Our practice is to learn to drop into the flow of that outside stream, to be open to the grace of the Muse?

      We cannot shoulder blame for block if we show up, be open and trust.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. I never thought of the creative process in quite this way, but it makes sense. I need to be free of distractions to create…a busy mind crowds out my muse.

        Like

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