To get your creative juices flowing or to get motivated to tackle a project, I recommend figuring out who or what is your muse? As a Marketing and Branding Consultant, in any given day, I have to switch gears between:
- Designing a company’s branded logo and colors
- Branding photographing of an entrepreneur or office in action
- Writing website content or blogs that sell and educate
- Creating digital materials
It can be demanding or challenging, especially if I'm tired, hit the late afternoon sluggishness or being in a tight deadline. I hit the easy button with my muse. It opens up creativity for me.
What does a Muse mean?
What is a creative muse? The word muse is defined as a verb, a noun, or as a proper noun.
- Verb – to ponder; to muse; to meditate; to think deeply and at great length.
- A proper noun – In Greek mythology any one of the nine goddesses who were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne — Calliope, Clio, Euterpe, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polyhymnia, Urania, and Thalia. These goddesses were given providence over the arts and sciences and thought to favor and inspire selected humans.
- A noun – The source of one’s genius or inspiration; the power or spirit that is thought to inspire writers, poets, musicians, artists, painters, or scientists.
Creative Muse
A muse is a person, spirit, or source who serves as an artist's inspiration. A creative muse is anything that inspires your imagination toward creativity: people, music, movies, books, private thoughts, ideas, or interests. A muse can come in a variety of ways but should make you think, want to act or create.
Picasso’s Muse
Many famous artists in history had a muse who inspired new passion and improved their work. Dora Maar was the muse and lover of Picasso, one of the world's most famous artists, during the ‘30s and ‘40s. Maar was a photographer and inspired many of Picasso's famous paintings, among which are Portrait of Dora Maar, Weeping Woman, and Woman Dressing Her Hair. She was also the only person who was allowed to capture the various stages of Guernica while Picasso was working on it. When their relationship became strained, and Picasso met a younger woman, Maar suffered a nervous breakdown and spent time in a psychiatric hospital. After her relationship with Picasso, Maar turned to Roman Catholicism, saying: “After Picasso, only God.”
How to Figure Out Your Muse?
This can be a different process for each one of us to find out what or who is your muse. Watch how you react in settings or experiences. The source can be living or nonliving. They can be pursuits or activities, active or reflective. They have the potential to heal, inspire, motivate, uplift, and reveal, which is a necessary part of our inner growth and our evolution. This can be a very intentional deliberate process, or we can stumble upon our muses accidentally.
Here are some ideas of how to figure out your muse to ignite your passion, creativity, and open thinking:
- Special place – beach, nature, a room, a temple
- Activity – running, exercising, walking in the forest, burning a candle, meditation
- Ritual – following customized repetitive steps
- People – a girlfriend, an intellectual conversation, a gathering
- Animals – your beloved furry pet being by your side
- Things – your grandmother’s photo, fresh flowers, touching a ring
- Music – favorite songs, emotionally impactful words and melodies
All of these items support the attainment of inner peace, joy, creativity, and well-being. The secret here is in maintaining these sources or calling them in when you need the ability to be inspired.
My muse is a calm, peaceful place with lots of natural light, and my animals close by with my favorite meaningful songs playing softly in the background.
You will know that you have found your muse when you encounter a force that makes you feel courageous enough to broaden the range of your creativity. The presence of this force or person will give you confidence, energy, inspiration, and motivate you to give your thoughts and feelings form.
Contact
Linda Simon Studio is a full-service marketing and branding firm specializing in marketing, brand design, photography, website design, SEO, content writing, collateral, and point of sale design. Linda Simon Studio was founded by Linda Simón in 1996 and is based in beautiful Palm Harbor, Florida just north of Clearwater & Tampa Bay. Schedule your Personality Portrait today. Call Linda at 757-430-9008 or email linda@lindasimonstudio.com.
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