Don’t mistake creativity for magic
or the effluent of a big brain
it is not delicate or nimble
it is a show of nerve
they say if you run into a cougar
look him in the eyes
raise your arms over your head so you look big
and face him the whole time
you retreat
it’s like this with art
the beast is not your inner critic
it’s your weariness
it takes muscle to pin down the right word
and stamina to wait
for the flow
you will feel impatience stalk you
aching to collapse the tension
be done with it
but your creativity needs a hero
so stare down the apathy
there is originality inside you
slowly gaining steam.