When in doubt, invoke the muse.
Need some inner strength? Inspiration? Guidance?
Invoke the muse.
What’s a muse?
Technically, we’d have to go back to Greek/Roman mythology where there were nine goddesses, known as muses, who represented the arts and sciences. We can thank Zeus and Mnemosyne for birthing or conjuring those beauties. (Whatever Gods do to make things like that happen.)
Over the years (ok centuries) the muse morphed into the definition of – a woman, or force personified as a woman, who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist.
For me, the muse has yet again morphed into a more modern interpretation.
I see the muse as a personification that is a source of inspiration.
Sounds a bit fancy, no?
Well, fanciness aside, I can assure you that the muse has a powerful role to play in YOUR life.
Why a muse?
Creatives, like artists, scientists, and great thinkers have been hip to the muse since waaaaaay back when. This came about because of necessity.
(And, let me make a BIG point here that I truly believe everyone is creative. Whether or not that creativity is tapped into, is a whole other blog post.)
The creative process can be daunting. Life can be daunting.
[Tweet “The creative process can be daunting. Life can be daunting.”]Wish as you might for an endless flow of inspired ideas to come cascading from the heavens, this unfortunately rarely happens.
Creativity needs a catalyst. If you want water or ideas to flow, you need to turn the faucet on.
The muse is the answer.
The Creative uses the muse to spark inspiration and turn the facet on. If you have somewhere to start, the ideas are more apt to follow.
[Tweet “The Creative uses the muse to spark inspiration.”]The muse is chosen based on what is important to the Creative.
Your Muse, My Muse, We’re all amused
Recently, I found myself down the Netflix rabbit hole where I ended up on a documentary called The First Monday in May. It is about the yearly Met Gala that has become one of fashions’ most famous events, calling in all the top celebrities and designers du jour to outdo themselves on the red carpet, plus there is a bunch of art thrown in.
Design + Art = a very happy Annick
One subtle thing that I was intrigued with in this documentary was that the fashion designers chose as their dates… their muses.
As the designers walked the red carpet with arms linked to their muse, I found myself uttering out loud, “WHAAAAT?! HER?! HUH?….”.
Most of the muses were actresses and musicians, which wasn’t surprising. After all, this is a great PR opportunity for any celeb. What was interesting was the pairing of said designers and muses. (business deals aside)
In a lot of cases, I would never have put that celebrity with that designer based on style.
Of course, that is short sighted. There is much more to a person than their style/aesthetic.
What are they like outside of the camera and lights? Personality? How do they live? What are their interests? What lights them afire? How do they affect the people around them?
This is what I would deem their essence…. Personification.
The muse embodies what is important to the Creative, and in this case- the fashion designer.
What is the essence of this seasons’ collection? What does the designer want to express? Who does the designer want to appeal to? The muse is the perfect place for a designer to start.
Ultimately, you never know who or what someone is inspired by.
It doesn’t even matter.
What is important is that the creativity is ignited and something is created.
[Tweet “What is important is that the creativity is ignited and something is created.”]The world needs what you have inside you.
Choose Your Muse
So, who is your muse in life?
Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a Creative, each one of us can use some inspiration.
The best part is- the muse doesn’t even have to be a real person or even a person at all! Sometimes, a muse is a set of words, an image, or a fictional character.
The muse can be pulled from history, conjured up, or someone you know.
No one can decide who your muse is, except you. And, your muse might change daily or be the same one your whole life. You might even switch between a few different muses depending on the circumstance.
(I’m a switcher because that is how I roll!)
Some helpful questions to ask in choosing a muse is-
Who do I admire?
Who lives in a way that excites me?
Who embodies the values that are important to me?
Who do I find fearless?
Who do I think is just- cool?
When I see “this person” they make me feel like “this”.
Here is an example of a word-based muse that I saw on a mood board.
Some other examples might be-
David Bowie
Holly Golightly
Jason Bourne
Kim Kardashian (I don’t judge.)
Nikola Tesla
Princess Diana
Sir Edmund Hillary
Wonder Woman
Your Great Great Uncle
You get my point.
Use Your Muse
Now that you’ve created them, when should you use your muse?
The answer is: ALWAYS!
Daily, life throws us a curve ball.
When you feel overwhelmed, frustrated, drained, uninspired, angry, defeated, etc. –
Ask yourself, What would my muse do in this situation?
How would they handle it? Conduct themselves? What would they choose?
While we can get stuck on decisions and over think things, it is easy to make a decision based on what the muse is like.
The muse has something we don’t feel like we have in ourselves. Draw from your muse’s strength and use it as inspiration.
Warning! Sometimes, this exploration causes giggles- especially, if you have chosen a muse that is a little bit mischievous. Although you may not be able to act on what you have conjured as your muse’s response, just imagining it all in your mind might be enough to get you through the situation.
Creatively, you will see the wealth of inspiration from your muse. Pull from your muse’s style, beauty, and interests.
As much as your muse possesses something you don’t see in yourself, your muse is also a part of YOU that does not get expressed.
So, be kind and patient with your muse and always ALWAYS appreciate them.
Your Challenge
This week, I encourage you to invoke your muse.
You don’t have to do this alone.
It would be my pleasure to be a part of this process with you.
I would like to invite you into a Get CLEAR™ Strategy session where we work through this together.
The 30 minute session is free. You can book your session HERE.
I hope you take me up on this offer for a million reasons. But the biggest reason is-
Life is way too short to live it and feel stagnant, miserable, and uninspired.
So, I invite you today to take the first fearless step and book your Get CLEAR™ Strategy Session.
I look forward to meeting you!
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A bientôt,
Annick