(Madisyn Taylor)
Inspiration is an intangible yet inseparable part of the creative process. The ancient Greeks believed that all creation, whether artistic or scientific in nature, was motivated by goddesses who served as the literal embodiment of inspiration. These were the Muses - the givers of the creative spark. We still rely on muses to drive the creative process, though ours may take a diverse range of forms. People we meet, intriguing ideas, movies, books, nature, and cultural ideals all have the potential to awaken our imaginative minds. When touched by our muses, we understand viscerally that we are capable of producing our own unique kind of greatness.
Many people move through life unaware of the presence of their muse. This lack of awareness can be compounded by the fact that we may have one muse that remains with us throughout our lives, multiple muses that inspire us concurrently, several muses that come and go as necessary, or a single muse that touches us briefly at specific moments. You will know that you have found your muse when you encounter a force that makes you feel courageous enough to broaden the range of your creativity. The presence of this force will erase your self-doubt and motivate you to give your thoughts and feelings form.
Should your muse continue to elude you, however, there are steps you can take to increase your chances of falling under its inspired influence. If you surround yourself with people who support you, keep a pen and paper handy, immerse yourself in culture, and brainstorm frequently, you will soon reconnect with your muse.
Once you have identified your muse, embrace it by giving yourself over to the creative inspiration it provides. No matter what you are moved to create, you will find that neither fear nor criticism can penetrate the wonderful bliss that goes hand in hand with the act of taking an idea and turning it into something the whole world can enjoy.
My Thoughts:
Whilst I think that my Guardian Angel can mostly be found sitting somewhere alone with her head in her hands, maybe weeping with despair, my muse is happy to be around all the madcap antics that represent my everyday life.
I have to say, my world is rarely dull, even on days I do not do anything in particular. I have always had a knack for the surreal. Simple things take on an existence of their own, often with bizarre consequences. Over the years, long before deciding to become a writer I have always carried a notebook, kept one in my pocket, had one by my bed, in the kitchen, next to my chair in the lounge and this has changed little, except now I seem to just jot things down on my phone and/or take photos.
I love the way there is no telling just when an idea will infest your brain and find it frustrating that as I get older the gems of ideas cannot be retained for long. It is like that with dreams as well, which is why I try hard to write down as much as I can remember before even lifting my head off the pillow.
I am influenced by many sources, situations, places and people but I am sure I only have one muse. She is the wacky, wayward side of me that sees the weird in everything and is then compelled to write it all down. She has no rhyme or reason to her, and she cannot be conjured up at will and there is no way she can ever be controlled.
Maybe she is the free spirit that my inner psyche dreams of being in reality … who knows.