Nurturing the Muse

Looking for inspiration? Open yourself to your inner Muse! Open Yourself to Your Muse  by Diana Raab Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our daily goings-on that we forget to give ourselves creative nourishment. The term muse comes from the original Muses who were the nine daughters of the Greek God, Zeus. In today’s world, a muse may be thought of as a source of creative inspiration. A muse can be either a person, situation or even a fantasy. In Ray Bradbury’s book, The Zen of Writing, he writes: “What is The Subconscious of every other man, in its creative aspect becomes, for writers, The Muse.” Bradbury believes that they are two names for the same thing. It’s been said that people and situations nourish our subconscious, in fact, some people so favorably tap into our subconscious that they provide us with ongoing creative inspiration. It’s a good idea that we surround ourselves with those who inspire or nurture us—those who exude positive, creative and nourishing energy. Another way to nurture the muse is to spend some time doing some serious people-watching. Writers often make this their past-time. After all, being a writer is a full-time job. Writers are professional eavesdroppers. We get inspired when we hang out in public places, such as restaurants, bars, coffeehouses, hotel lobbies, shopping malls, and doctor’s offices. Fiction writer Honoré de Balzac was known for sitting in Parisian cafes for hours, writing and watching people. So, we should back up our journals, turn up our hearing aids and head out! When in public places, it’s a good idea to jot down nuggets of conversations as it tunes us into the every day muses. After performing this task for a while, it becomes a habit. Before long, we notice the utterances and situations which…

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