A Course in Demonic Creativity

by Matt Cardin

Where does creativity come from? Why do ideas and inspiration feel as if they come from “outside,” from an external source that is separate from us but able to whisper directly into the mind? Why have so many writers throughout history — and also composers, painters, philosophers, mystics, and scientists — spoken of being guided, accompanied, and even haunted by a force or presence that not only serves as the deep source of their creative work, but that exerts a kind of profound and inexorable gravitational pull on the shape of their lives?

These are all questions addressed by A Course in Demonic Creativity: A Writer’s Guide to the Inner Genius. The book’s starting point is the proposition that we all possess a higher or deeper intelligence than the everyday mind, and that learning to live and work harmoniously and energetically with this intelligence is the irreducible core of a successful artistic life. We can call this inner force the unconscious mind or the silent partner. We can call it the id or the secret self. But muse, daimon, and genius are so much more effective at conveying its subversive and electrifying emotional charge, and also its experiential reality.

Your unconscious mind truly is your genius in the ancient sense of the word, the sense that was universal before it was fatefully altered several centuries ago by historical-cultural forces. Befriending it as such, and interacting with it as if it really is a separate, collaborating presence in your psyche, puts you in a position to receive its gifts, and it in the position to give them to you.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Magic, Horror

174 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Matt Cardin is a writer, pianist, and Ph.D. living in North Arkansas. He writes frequently about the intersection of religion, horror, creativity, and the supernatural.

His books include Writing at the Wellspring, What the Daemon Said, To Rouse Leviathan, and A Course in Demonic Creativity: A Writer’s Guide to the Inner Genius. His editorial projects include Horror Literature through History and Born to Fear: Interviews with Thomas Ligotti. His work has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award, long-listed for the Bram Stoker Award, and praised by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Asimov's Science Fiction, Thomas Ligotti, and others. His blog/newsletter is The Living Dark .

Reviews

[T.J. Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I wish I'd read sooner, but which probably came to me at exactly the right time. A thread of mysticism and the unknowable has always been sewn through my life, and the wielder of that needle has felt, to me, somewhat outside of my conscious awareness. There's something cynical to be said for relegating encounters with art to an external locus of control, of deriving meaning from supposed synchronicity, but regardless of how much analysis I try to apply to such things, I have always felt that there's something More at work, something I can't quite fathom.

To push away the concerns of the personal, though: at its core, this book is a re-imagining of the Muse, that image of the artist's angel-attendant, exterior to mortal concerns (and infamously fickle) - as demon. Not as the scorched and chthonic denizen of Hell that immediately leaps to mind, but as a thoughtfully considered and psychologically relevant counterpart to the ego. It is fascinating - and a tad disturbing - to conceive of one's own mind in this fashion, and some might even bridle at the notion, but Cardin renders thoughts and theories as useful outside of the spiritual, with multiple practical exercises to consider and eloquent, considered musings on creativity in general.

Along with providing a detailed history of the etymology for the concept of "demon/daimon" (as well as a re-interpretation of the common usage for the word "genius") to background his thinking, Cardin asserts that personifying the creative instinct can benefit the artist in a variety of ways, all of which can be aimed at relieving some of that pressure that most introspective artists can be subject to when trying to create. None of this, thankfully, boils down to a one-stop magic-wand solution - Cardin repeatedly puts emphasis on the necessity of practice and craft, while also offering personal anecdotes from his own life to better illustrate the possibilities inherent with the model of "demonic creativity."

But the true magic in this book comes from the pure, honest joy vibrating beneath the words. This is written by someone who loves what they do, and it shows. Some of the language in the text, and some of the overarching tone, is quite academic, which for me was delightful, but might put some readers off. This feeling, however, is leavened by the author's direct address of the reader, lending a gratifying and comforting effect that you are being viewed as a compatriot rather than a pupil.

Astonishingly, Cardin maintains a scholarly distance from the subject throughout, never once losing itself in the heady brew of its own gnosis. Indeed, he even takes the time to include those who may bridle at the very notions presented, with caveats along the way. To quote from his first chapter:

"Important, crucially ... you don't actually have to believe any of this in a literal sense in order to feel its artistic-emotional pull and sense its marvelous explanatory power. It's possible to view the idea of the daimon as nothing more than a perfect metaphor that encapsulates a profound truth about human experience and allows us to work with it productively."

Currently, Cardin is offering this as a free download on his website - as he explains in his Afterword, at the behest of his own demon muse/creative self. It's rare that someone who has thought this deeply and this cogently about the creative instinct shares their thinking gratis, and I urge you to take advantage of it. I know that it's given me at the very least some new items to put in my writer's toolbox, and I greatly look forward to revisioning my creative approach, armed with what I've learned in its pages.

[Zac Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indispensable. Musing with the muse, prodding the daemon and seeing what torrid tales spew forth from its maw; painting your stories with blackest dread.

[Maria Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tend to stay away from books about creativity and all the ways one can achieve such a state. But because I enjoyed Matt Cardin's fiction and was facing a dead end in my writing anyway, I yielded to the demands of my daimon muse (and my demon one too) and read it.
Which turned out to be the best decision I've made this year.

[Eva Kenieva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is of great interest to any creative person, especially one struggling with a block. I think I got a lot of insights about how to deal with the fear of creating every artist experiences. The old idea Cardin explores, that we *have* a Muse who speaks through us rather than the modern idea that we *are* geniuses, deserves examination. Even if one doesn't believe in a literal entity corresponding to the muse or daemon, it is a useful mental metaphor that helps take the pressure and fear off oneself. And of course, spiritually minded people who are also creative will find the concept appealing.

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect to find so much insight about the creative process in a free ebook. Cardin addresses a lot of issues that creative people (writers mostly, artists in general) face when trying to reconcile the urge to create with the westernized, production based idea of worth, and ultimately disproves the latter.

[Gasoline Horsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise and inspiring book delving into the soul of the act of writing.

[Devin Bee]

*Also:

Transmitting Vision

Writing at the Wellspring manuscript

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was recommended by a good friend, and free, as an e-book at http://www.demonmuse.com/wp-content/u...

The book explores the concept of creativity as an external force, exploring the classical paradigm of the muse from scientific, spiritual and practical perspectives. Its a compendium of research on the subject, full of references to various books, interviews, and articles that explore the idea of the creative force as an external power.

It's also full of practical advice for writers, including some truly memorable quotes from artists and writers about their relationship with their artistic gift.

I found this one of the most informative and inspiring books I've yet read on the subject, so kudos for Matt Cardin for making this book free and available to all.

Matt Cardin has written many books of fiction.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this a lot and for a free book, that's great. It delves into the historical and cultural relevance of the artist's muse and offers good reasons why it's okay to personify your muse. In essence it gives wannabe writers like myself "permission" to think about our inspiration as a "demonic" muse. It certainly inspired me.

[T.Z. Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic short book (available as a free ebook from the author’s website) about writing, art, and creativity. It is similar to Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art, but involves more science and philosophy, including the work of Carl Jung. Cardin posits that creativity comes from the unconscious—or your daimon—and he provides tips on how to harness that force to create artistic works.