The Artist's Process

“The Thought Fox” is an exploration of the writing process, or indeed the process of creating a work of art in any medium. The first rule often cited in creative industries is “show up” — to sit at the desk and be ready for inspiration to arrive. Conversely, however, imagination and inspiration can’t be forced; it is achieved with patience and trust in the creative process. In the poem, the speaker achieves the first step by arriving at their physical creative place. At this point they can’t force the fox to come to them, or capture it against its will; instead they need to wait and allow the fox to find its own way in its own time.

The fox, which symbolizes creative inspiration, is portrayed as curious yet wary. It makes its way forward, but not in a linear fashion. Instead it...