A magic spell for bards
(Nimue)
Repeat this spell whenever you find that you need it. Say it outloud if you can – we are more persuaded by things we hear ourselves saying.
I invite inspiration into my life.
I give myself permission to be a bit crap.
When inspiration comes, it does not magically transform us into people who can instantly do what said inspiration suggests. It can take time to learn skills, even if you already have skills in the relevant area. The inspiration for a poem is not necessarily going to result in you just sitting down and writing it perfectly in one go. Sometimes creativity takes time, re-visits, re-drafts. The first pass is not going to be the best thing you could do.
If fear of being a bit crap stops you from even having a go, you will never get to a point where you can magically create things. Messing up is a creative rite of passage, and to become good at things, you have to be willing to spend time failing at them first. This is how we learn. If you try, and the first go is a bit rubbish and you let that stop you, then you will never get very far. It can take a lot of passes to get to the point of not being rubbish. Being really good often takes years.
Expecting to do things perfectly at the first attempt is really a bit mad. Many of us have this living in our heads thanks to bad experiences in educational systems. For those of us from less privileged backgrounds, it was only if you were stunningly naturally good at something that there was any chance of being allowed to do more of it. It takes time to become good at things, and if you have not been given that time you may have some badly distorted ideas about what you are capable of. The time you spend on creating is far more impactful than the raw talent you start out with.
Repeat the permission spell. Say it to yourself. Give other people permission, too. Throw perfectionism out of the window – it is of no use to you. Aim for the absolute best you can do, and figure out how to be ok when it isn’t as good as you thought it would be.
Because here’s a thing – that never goes away. What you know is always ahead of what you can do. What you can imagine and the possibilities you can see will always be better than the things you can create. You do not get to a point of absolute mastery and perfection, it isn’t available. Committing to the bard path means committing to this part of the path too. You have to learn how to celebrate and enjoy the progress you make even as you identify the flaws in what you’ve just done. Give yourself permission to be a bit crap, and the inspiration will flow through you far more effectively, moving you on in your journey.
