Where did the muse go?

What do Advil, Mucinex, tea with honey, and cough drops all have in common? If you guessed things the Doctor said you have to start taking to get over that darn cold, you are correct. My kitchen counter looks like a pharmacy. I've had more tea in the last 24 hours than in the entire previous year. I really hope it all works. I'm sick of being sick.

Okay, that doesn't have a whole lot to do with my muse taking flight, except for the extent to which I've let it be my excuse not to write this week. As the New Year approaches, my goal is to get that voice back and start doing some good work again. I want to fix my mystery, which I haven't touched in two months, finish up the first book and set it free in the universe, and start something new. Is that too much to ask?

I've got a start. This week I recieved a belated birthday present from a writer friend, Joanne. It's Julia Cameron's The Sound of Paper. Cameron also wrote The Artist's Way, and many of her tools for releasing creativity are the same. I decided to read it, do all the exercises, and take her advice. Hopefully that will entice the muse to come back and hang out a while.

However, Ms. Muse should probably wait a few days...at least until the worst of the cold is over.