Many people have written about the things they need in order to be able to write to their best. Some need loud music, others need complete silence. Sometimes it also depends on what is being written. I usually need complete silence too when I am writing fiction, however as I’m writing this -a piece of rambling / reflective non fiction- I have music playing on shuffle in the background. The start of the piece was mainly taken up with Peter Gabriel and as I write this section Denis Leary is sinking on his Love Boat. I think it may be because when I’m writing fiction I am trying to listen to a voice in my head that could be overridden by whatever is being played at the time. As this is being written the voice is my own and I can hear that in the loudest nightclubs so there isn’t a problem. Then some writers fall into procrastination, we must all have at some point though I often wonder why. I find writing to be a pleasurable activity that enables me to put into existence some of the ideas that would otherwise be wasted. I feel better when I have done so, so why would I put off doing so with time-wasting activities like making yet another cup of tea or checking texts for the umpteenth time even though I know no new message has been received?
Then there is the muse. I never even knew I had one until it was pointed out to me when I was moving house. My sister handed me this thing, “Don’t forget your muse.”
I looked at her perplexed. “Huh, what?”
“That, that’s your muse. You’re always playing with it when you’re writing. Have done for ages.”
I had never even considered it as such but I suppose she is right. I thought to begin with that playing with this simple toy was just another form of procrastination but it can’t be. I’m not purposefully trying to avoid writing at all, I’m just giving my hands something to do as my mind wanders off down it’s various rabbit holes. A thesaurus can give you a different word; a dictionary the correct spelling (though computers have helped a lot with that) but when you are listening to that voice in your head before you put the words down your hands aren’t involved, especially when scripting a conversation. I sit there blankly staring at this thing as I try to get the ball in the hole and eventually I put it down and continue typing when inspiration hits. I’m pretty good at it I think, the key is to move the ball as little as possible and move the hoop beneath it. No creative brain power involved, no other influence begging for attention.
So this made me wonder, is that weird? I’ve heard of artists who use paint (because we’re all artists at some level, we use words like they use paint) have a subject that keeps them occupied and inspired be it a favoured model or landscape and this is their muse. Maybe some people smoke (or vape) to keep the hands doing something whilst thinking. An elastic band ball perhaps? A bat and ball? What’s your muse?
Sheffield Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Group 
I have a similar muse, though mine requires a heckuva lot less concentration: https://www.clickeybits.com/shop/super-clicky
As you said in your article, this gives my hands something to do while my brain untangles the knots of my story. The clicking sensation is also helpful since my brain and fingers associate those sounds and physical “clicks” with productive writing (similar to when I am writing on my mechanical keyboard). When I was much younger I used a clicky pen…but that irritated a lot of my teachers. This is no less irritating, but when I click it inside of my vest or sweatshirt pocket it tends to keep things quiet enough that I’m not a nuisance.
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