What is your Muse?
The question is; are we even aware of the existence of “The Muse” in our artistic lives? Typically, and historically the word has been a romantic if not illusive catalyst for great stories of wretched, tortured, love-sick, or eccentric artists. It has been the thing that they become obsessed with, that draws them towards masterpieces and keeps them focused on the release of the artistic passion.
I do believe however, that the Muse is neither elusive nor romantic but exists not too far from where we search for “inspiration”. It can also be the inspiration, or maybe from the inspiration is born that creative spurt that as artists we want to hold on to forever, to replenish daily and live happily within the warmth of it’s nurturing. Has the word been discarded over time? Has it lost its passionate appeal, no longer relevant to today’s high tech, fast paced, logistic, commercial, and fickle terminologies?
What I think to be true is that the Muse lives and breathes without us needing to acknowledge it’s existence. The Muse is our constant companion, but to serve its function we need to accept it for what it is. Our emotions are such a well of potential creativity. Our environment even though ever changing still carries a wealth of information to draw from that holds passion, stories, and messages.
How
A possible key to accessing our Muse is to slow down and listen keenly; to observe with the heart of the artist not the mind of the ego/self. To step outside and reconnect to people, to see beauty in leaves with dancing shadows, the mud on a child’s shoe from them running outside after the rain, the turn of your love’s lips or the memory of losing someone special. There is beauty in our daily feelings and responses.
To find the sublime we must be still, and that takes effort. To find beauty we need only to look slowly. In order to express meaning in the art we produce we need to have a purpose in the heart, mind and soul. To express opinions and responses (i.e political and social discourse) we reflect what others see and feel as well. Regardless of how we come to the work that is our art, it carries within it the Muse with a potential to view it from all angles, and the space to develop passion as we work, which then breathes life into our art. After all, isn’t that what art is about? Passion, expression, love, pain, sharing, exchanging…the sublime?.
