I am a writer and one day while attending a literary lunch, I was seated at a table with four ladies.
Now, I had recently been fighting an extreme case of writer’s block and I felt that I had lost my MUSE!
These four ladies were all of a “certain age” as I am.
I thought: Could one of these ladies be my replacement MUSE?
One lady was a retired math teacher.
One lady was a retired doctor who was an anaesthetist.
One lady was a Merry Widow.
And her friend, was just Merry!
“Ladies, I am looking for a new MUSE. I am considering one of you for the job!”
They all looked at me in amazement!
The retired math teacher said: “That sounds interesting.”
The retired anaesthetist said: “Well, I could put you to sleep and you would feel no pain.”
The Merry Widow said: “I’m up for it, anything for some excitement.”
And finally, Merry said: “What exactly is a MUSE?”
“Well, it’s an inspirational force, usually personified by a woman, that keeps a creative artist full of energy and ideas.”
All the ladies said they would love to be my MUSE.
The retired anaesthetist said: “What would we have to do?”
“You will have to keep me writing by supplying the words that I need. I always need lots of words!”
Everyone seemed to be in agreement that they could fill me with energy and supply lots of words for me. So I folded up four pieces of paper, three were blank, and one said: “You’re my MUSE!”
I put the bits of folded paper in a bag and each lady drew one.
I wondered who would win.
The next thing I knew I was asleep with my pen in my hand!!!
Your subconscious mind is your muse. It has problem-solving and idea synthesising powers. Adopting the muse model gives you a way to engage with these powers.
Personifying your subconscious mind with the idea of the muse makes it easier to hand over your creative problems to it. SO YOU NEED THE “MUSE”.
You don’t want your Muse to be the supreme ruler so you lose all control, all you want is the Muse to be your assistant. You both will work in harmony!
That was very aMUSEing ,Dave …and so topical !
Shame I drew one of the blanks ! Have never been a muse tho’ once sat for an artist [in my youth, I hasten to add…:{^_^} ]
Wil look forward to *mingling* at the next Oldie Lit Lunch …..
I’m not even going into the Freudian interpretation of that post..haha.
When inspiration has buggered off, I call upon my playlists. I have a number of albums and playlists on my laptop and phone – whatever I’m writing I play something that will evoke the emotions I need that corresponds with what I write.
Great idea a muse is just what I need.
When I need help I’ll have to find one.
Or maybe a nap will work.