My Creative Muse is Back…!

In Greek mythology, the Muses (Greek Μοῦσαι, Mousai: perhaps from the Proto-Indo-European root *men- "think") are a sisterhood of goddesses or spirits, their number set at nine by Classical times, who embody the arts and inspire the creation process with their graces through remembered and improvised song and stage, writing, traditional music, and dance. They were water nymphs, associated with the springs of Helicon and with Pieris, from which they are sometimes called the Pierides. The Olympian system set Apollo as their leader, Apollon Mousagetēs. Not only are the Muses explicitly used in modern English to refer to an inspiration, as when one cites his/her own artistic muse, but they are also implicit in the words "amuse" or "musing upon" - From Wikipedia.org

Writing can be very hard.

Especially when someone else is required to read what you write. I mean, the millions of blogs being maintained is proof that anyone can write. But a much fewer number can actually write and get other people to read what they wrote. From beginning to end with total and rapt attention.

If I was a Greek writer in mythological times, my creative muse - (who would naturally be a sexy, drop-dead gorgeous, covered-in-wispy-transparent-robes female humanoid) - would be perched on my shoulder. She would be whispering ancient lore and tales of long ago into my ear, massaging my head when the ideas she put there threaten to overwhelm me, and shrieking in delight when I managed to put the heavenly and out-of-this-world stuff she is feeding me, into coherent words mere mortals might understand!

Of course, being a creature of pure creativity she is very easily distracted and is apt to wander away from her primary subject if she does not get the stimulus she needs to continue to fulfil her role. Most artists understand this and are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to indulge their muse. Trips to unexplored countries; conversations with total strangers; the laughter of children; making love under the stars in a green wood meadow; getting drunk in the red-light downtown district, any of these could be a trigger for loads of new material from your creativity. Or your Muse J

Some have reported that smoking cannabis is a sure-fire way to get your muse engaged actively with you. Most would swear that artists in a cannabis (or drug induced) addled state have actual conversations with their muses who although otherwise invisible, become solid and real to their charges. This physical manifestation to their charges takes a huge toll on the poor creatures and it takes more and more quantities of the drug in question to get the muse to appear.

Finally, in a fit of desperation and in an attempt to be left alone and not appear so strongly in our plane of existence, the muse will bestow on her charge her most powerful story/music/idea. Most charges don’t survive this blast of creativity and usually expire soon afterwards. Think of all those famous painters and musicians who created masterpieces and classics. And who were undoubtedly mad as a hatter!

Not all artists run mad however, some merely neglect their muses and forget to achieve that level of balance that is needed for a mutually beneficial relationship. Others get that balance perfectly but almost all artists at one point or the other allow their muse to wander away and have to go to great lengths to coax her back!

Me, I seem to be on a roll. J

I ignored my blog and did no writing whatsoever for almost a month over the Christmas and New Year period. Is it co-incidental that the level of uncertainty surrounding Temi’s trip to NZ was highest over this period? And that I suddenly cannot stop posting on my blog AFTER I got the call the ticket was bought and paid for? Is there a connection to be made here?