When I begin to work with clients, some of my favorite questions to ask are:
Who is your creative muse? Who or what inspires you?
Sometimes, we can feel stuck in our craft. Uninspired and unmotivated. We need that jolt, that inspiration, and that excitement to start creating again.
Now, our muses don’t necessarily have to be in our field of work. Rather, our muses awaken something exciting inside of us. They light a spark, they inspire. They help our passions and our interests to feel seen and recognized.
I remember being in Ibiza over 20 years back, and reading Axel Vervoordt’s book WABI SABI. I had known nothing about Axel before, but something had told me to pick up his book. My intuition.
Much before Nomad Atelier started to take form, there was something about how Axel described space and the influence of Wabi Sabi in his life that spoke to me. His approach and philosophy metaphorically resonated with what I wanted to guide women through inside Nomad.
Axel Vervoordt is world renowned designer, art and antiques collector from Antwerp, Belgium. Unrelated to what I do in many ways, yet so close in others. His words made me want to curate experiences that evoked similar sensations, but inside my own world of expertise. In the field of business coaching, I found that many coaches were so often salesy and corporate. I wanted to be able to guide women to design their business in a more personal, carefully curated, and soulful way.
“Be AWARE, that Wabi is a very intimate premise that comes from within. A personal philosophy that is found in the very interior of the SOUL. A totally individual way of SEEING, FEELING and THINKING. There are no boundaries, no borders, no beginning, no end.”
– Axel Vervoordt
Oftentimes, my clients think that they need to find a Muse inside their world. For me, it has been always so enriching to be inspired from worlds I love – from art, design, cuisine, to travel. You need to feel into philosophies of others, values, visions and see why they connect with you.
Axel’s principle of focussing on doing things that feel aligned is one that I reiterate to my clients, and have kept within my business philosophy. I’ve always believed that our best comes from when we are aligned with our soul’s purpose.
No matter what he does, from being a collector, to curating exhibits, designing for elite clients and transforming their interiors – he brings an undeniable magic. Perhaps, all fueled by his discerning eye. Of seeing beyond just four walls. To get to the root of authenticity.
I was inspired to do the same in my own zone of genius, helping clients see themselves for who they truly are, being a Soul Whisperer.
Think about who your muse is and why.
If you find it difficult, try the exercise below that I ask my clients to complete. The following three prompts can help you identify what characteristics you’re looking for in a muse and how our muses can help to align us with our purpose.
And, who knows – you might even notice you have these characteristics and qualities within yourself, too!
THREE-STEP MUSE DISCOVERY
⎯ Muses: Make a list of people that you admire. They can be in completely different industries, they can be relatives, strangers, celebrities, or even other entrepreneurs.
⎯ Personality Traits: List the personality traits you admire in them. These can include qualities like resilience, creativity, leadership, etc. This exercise will help you identify specific attributes that will help you realize what specific traits in a person really resonate with you, and what you want to emulate throughout your work and practice.
If you find it difficult to know what specifically attracts them to you, try interviewing them.
⎯ Interview Exercise: Imagine you’re interviewing your muse. Come up with a list of questions you would ask, which can then help you explore what you find intriguing about your chosen figure.
See more Nomad Muses Stories
Our muses are wonderful guides to creativity and opening our minds. They can influence your way of seeing things, or awaken in you a desire to develop personality traits.
If you’re still struggling to find that creative inspiration and soul alignment in your work, I also encourage you to try something different.
UNLOCK YOUR CREATIVITY EXPLORING NEW THINGS
⎯ Explore A New Area
Being in a routine can feel stagnant. Leaving our comfort zones is one of the best ways to open ourselves to new creative possibilities.
For some, it can be traveling to a new area that you’ve never visited before. I will always tell my clients – my sabbatical in Marrakech changed my life. There was something about being in the silent desert that led me to be comfortable to be alone with my thoughts and allowed me to listen to my soul. Take in the scenery, the sights, the smells. Talk to someone new. Notice how you feel in a completely different environment.
⎯ Read About Something New
Like picking up WABI SABI, sometimes the best inspiration comes from when we least expect it. Go to a library or bookstore, or even revisit your old bookshelf. Silence the mind, use your intuition to guide you to picking out a new book by an artist or on a new subject. Scan the pages, see, feel, and record what speaks to you. Remember, the subject doesn’t have to be in your field of work. But their story or principles might speak to you in a way that reflects something that you want to create.
⎯ Write
Have you ever read Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way? It’s a must-read. In it, she tells her readers and creative writers to complete The Morning Pages daily: 3 full pages of your unedited thoughts, first thing in the morning. Our subconscious mind is much more open and receptive to new thoughts and ideas when we wake up.
She also encourages her readers to take themselves out on an “Artist’s Date”. This should be done once a week, as a solo expedition – to let your inner creative play. Visit a new museum, spend an hour painting in the garden, take photos of a new coffee shop. Anything to free your creative soul.
The main point of all these exercises is to help you reflect on key moments in your life, and when you feel the most inspired or motivated by someone. It’s also important to identify traits that you want to be able to expand on, and bring along with you into your own entrepreneurial journey.
Creativity and inspiration is everywhere. Let your intuition and muses guide you, and see where it leads you.
Connecting the dots may not always be easy, yet each one of us possesses a unique personal blueprint waiting to be unveiled.
RESOURCES:
▸ Learn more: nomadatelier.com
▸ Instagram: @nomad_atelier
▸ Book a Discovery Call
LINKS:
▸ My Unforgettable Visit to Axel Vervoodt Foundation, a hidden gem: BE INSPIRED
▸ Redesigning My Life Story, inspired in Morocco READ MORE
