Can Adventure Be Your Muse?

One author’s true story of exploring Cuba, living in Hawaii, and walking the Camino de Santiago

In writing as in life, there are countless hurdles, hiccups, and roadblocks. There is no secret sauce for preventing the life stuff. Let’s face it, shit happens. However, many of the hurdles that happen in writing, whether typical writer’s block, drab dialogue, or too traditional storyline can be tweaked from the barely mediocre to outstanding with the help of a muse.

Although many people conjure up the imagery of a goddess like muse accompanying a writer to a quaint seaside or mountain village, I have found that a muse doesn’t have to be a person.

My most reliable muses have been adventures.

Adventure Can Be Your Muse

Before you stop reading because you think I’m going to force you to jump out of a plane to get a bestseller out of you, let me define adventure and explain why it can be your best muse.

First, let’s agree to define adventure more broadly. Adventure is any new activity that puts you in the zone. It can be physical, mental, emotional, or a combination of all three. The end result of any adventure is an energy boost as well as a one-track mind, allowing a shift in perspective. That means that your muse (a.k.a. adventure) can be traveling to a new destination, visiting a familiar place but in a different way, or going on a blind date. By adding adventure to your life, your writing will evolve to its next level because your lens has changed, thus evolving.

The Muse Lesson Taught by a Tree

Of course, I didn’t learn this lesson about muses, evolution, and writing success without heartache, financial ruin, and almost losing my life. No one becomes wise without quite a few run-ins with being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  

My first adventure that took the role of my muse was a good knock on the head by a thousand-pound tree limb in Hudson River Valley, New York. From a hospital bed and a lengthy recovery in an immobilization brace, that hard knock forced me to literally rewrite my story.

Although I wouldn’t recommend that you go out in search of a catastrophic event, let me be the bearer of good news. You can get the same beneficial muse outcomes through consciously chosen adventures that may be more up your alley, albeit challenging and thus forcing your evolution. Let me share with you my last three muses.

Three Adventures = Three Muses

Exploring Cuba

Having lived in South Florida for more than a decade, where there are nearly 1.5 million Cubans, I had been accustomed to hearing a lot about Cuba from my neighbors, colleagues, and even my hairdresser. Back in 2012, I was curious about the forbidden island. Was Cuba as bad as they say it is? Perhaps there is another story? I was determined to find the truth.  However, on my first trip to Cuba, I got more than I bargained for.

Through conversations with my BnB owners, taxi drivers, and my local guide who was a former physics professor, I found out that Cuba was complicated. Five days would not be enough to find the truth, but it would be enough to fall in love with the fascinating culture. Since, I have returned to Cuba for nearly forty adventures uncovering the secret to Cubans’ happiness, the perfect mojito recipe, and polishing my salsa skills. My adventures to Cuba have been my muse for all of my books, in particular my most recent, Cubicle to Cuba. In it, I unveil the truth I found about Cuba as well as delectable Cuban recipes.

Living in Hawaii

In 2013, while in Havana, Cuba, I received an offer than I couldn’t refuse, to move to Kauai, the Garden Isle of Hawaii. I would exchange one island for the other, leaving hola for aloha. Being removed from the busy, hustle and bustle of the East Coast of Florida and surrounded by spectacular beauty made a perfect setting for creating my first work of art, When All Balls Drop and its sequel, With New Eyes. Along the way, when I came to a hurdle in the writing process, I went to nature for inspiration.

In order to celebrate accomplishing an aggressive timeline of publishing two books in two years, I wanted to practice what I preached in my books; the power of perspective and how adventure can be a form of meditation. My muse was an 11-mile treacherous trail called Kalalau.

Packed with a thirty-five pound pack with food, tent, and water, I set forth on a challenge not only for my body, but also my mind.  From stop in your tracks beauty around each bend in the trail to surprising aches and pains that also stop you in your tracks, an adventure once again sparked an idea for my next project, a screenplay for the big screen.

Walking the Camino de Santiago

On a recent trip to Spain, I embarked on a walk that thousands before me had done to find inspiration and life transformation. The Camino de Santiago (St. James’ Way) is a pilgrimage walk in northern Spain towards Santiago de Compostela, This trip was not my first time in Spain. In fact, it was like a homecoming as I had lived in Spain for two years while in college; however, it was my first time on the Camino. From early morning until late afternoon, I, along with my group, walked through a picturesque landscape of green, rolling hills, farmland, and small Spanish hamlets. We put behind us anywhere from ten to seventeen miles a day.

Once again being removed from my natural environment as well as challenging my body to make thousands of steps a day, freed my mind to shift to other ideas and perspectives. I completed the Camino in April with two takeaways: 1) I needed to do a Spanish version of Cubicle to Cuba. 2) I must do the Camino again to share the adventure experience with more people. This October 5-14th, a group of roughly a dozen of us, will be embarking on the Camino. Learn more about our adventure and come with us.

Can Adventure Be Your Muse Close to Home?

Although many of the muses that I mention are far-off places or physically challenging activities, I would like to stress that adventure can also be close to home and combination of physical, emotional, and mental. You can tap into the power of adventure by doing any new activity that perhaps is a little fearful that hones your lens. It’s that focus and clarity that fosters the creative process. I recently gave a TEDx talk about this one life hack that the gurus don’t tell you about. You can see it here.

The scientific benefits of adventure don’t lie. You will experience increased focus, enhanced energy, and the ability to shift your perspective more rapidly. I encourage you to add adventure to your life. Adventure will not only allow you to evolve to your best self, your Life 2.0, but also allow your writing craft and career to flourish.

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About Heidi Siefkas

Heidi Siefkas is an award-winning author, international speaker, and adventurer. Originally from small-town Wisconsin, Heidi hangs her hat in South Florida. However, as an adventurer, Heidi is rarely home for very long. The author of three inspirational, non-fiction books, When All Balls Drop, With New Eyes, and Cubicle to Cuba, she has created the mantra Look Up and speaks to groups worldwide. You can connect with her at www.heidisiefkas.com.

Tags: adventure, featured, women writing

Category: How To and Tips