Musing…
What’s it all about? Meet your muse blog is where we have a conversation about meeting your muse, and also engage in musing.
What muse? Historically, the Muses are 9 goddesses that governed the arts in Greek mythology. As the daughters of Zeus (King of the Gods) and Mnemosyne (Goddess of Memory), they each inspire a different art form or expression of creativity. The nine girls covered it all, as creativity is the basis for all growth and expansion.
Your muse may be active or dormant, but is available to guide your creative process in whatever unique form it takes, from your heart to the world! Your muse can inspire traditional art forms, history, mathematics, science and even love.
Who are we? We are Charise and Kate; kindred spirits living very different lives. Between the two of us, we are artists, dancers, creativity coaches, yoga and qigong instructors, trained psychologists and social workers, writers, and healing arts practitioners. We teach a teleworkshop titled Meet Your Muse: An invitation to Kindle Your Creativity. Here is another invitation, in a different format, to join us as we explore, expound, express, shape, cajole, and roll with the creative spirit that lives in all of us.
Kate’s turn: My muse shows up in the kitchen, when I’m creating our meals, which look great and taste even better. I’ve had the basics down since I was a kid, so I can confidently experiment and create in this medium.
Another shows up in how I decorate our home. I love color; I love nature; I love light. I have a bud vase on our table; I have my blooming orchid on our counter; I have dried leaf pods in a vase; I light candles when we have our coffee in the morning; I plan an evening event over the full moon rising; I tell a story of that interesting person I spoke with in the store today.
Another, more recently, is my muse in watercolor. I am not as confident in this medium, but my pull towards playing with it feeds my soul. Currently I’m trying to get past the idea that my paintings should “look” like I want them to look; I’m challenged by allowing my own expression, deeper than my preconceived limiting mind, to be free and surprise me in how my idea gets manifested. This seems to allow my creative fires to carry me rather than controlling the fire.
Get fired up: Taking the time to listen to what “grabs” you, and then following up on it with some action or response is all it takes to get that creative fire burning. Claiming your creative self is easy when it’s not so “out there” but rather shows up often in our everyday lives.
All this to say: awaken your muse, claim your artist self, in whatever form it takes. Pay attention to that taste of delight that follows an expression of creativity in your unique way. Introduce yourself as an artist, and when people ask “what medium?” you can say “Life!”
