Meeting Our Muses Day Two: Not All Muses are Gods
Added 2024-10-02 05:25:09 +0000 UTCSome writers speak as though their words come from a supernatural source—a muse, an angel, or even a god. As an atheist, I won’t tell you that inspired work comes from God, but the sensation of receiving words rather than creating them is quite universal among poets who have achieved greatness.
There are two kinds of writing:
Arriving at the page and setting the words down.
Waiting for the words to come to you.
There is a vast difference between these two states of being. The latter is muse-inspired and more likely to produce better work. Creating the work from your rational mind might work at times, but every writer should try to foster inspiration. That’s all amuse really is: inspiration. It can feel like a supernatural power is planting words in your head, and this is the state of mind that will lead to your best work.
In ancient Greece, the Muses were inspirational gods of literature and art. There were muses for songs, poetry, dance, and theatre. Those muses could give artists superhuman abilities, making them feel as though they were writing on a higher plane. These days, people use other kinds of muse, usually lovers or friends who inspire them, but a human might not be the perfect muse for you.
I write best when I’m spending time with people who think differently from the norm. They make me see the world in a new way, and that’s where my poetry comes from. As a dedicated cat lady, though, I rarely have the luxury of sexy human muses. I must find my muse elsewhere. I’ve tried so many things, and the natural world is my best muse. A therapeutic walk in the ocean air will often give me an inspired poem.
Maybe your best muse is an art gallery, a walk with a dog, or a meditation. Maybe it's pain... or love... or a day spent with family. Everyone is different, and while you need to strengthen your technical abilities, you also need to encourage a life that’s full of inspiration.
What inspires you? Write a poem about your muse today.
