Inspiration
Where do you get your inspiration? Whether you write, paint, sculpt, draw, design, photograph, build, or just dream, where does inspiration come from? What sources do we look to when we need a pick-me-up to move forward from a block, or when we start a new work?
The Ancient Greeks had the Muses, nine mystical goddesses (Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania), born of air and memory (Zeus and Mnemosyne). The Greeks invoked the Muses in their works, asking for help and guidiance (Epic works like those of Homer, called on the Muses to help tell the stories put forth.)
Now when people speak of their Muse, they usually don't have the Greek Goddesses in mind (but they might). Usually, a Muse is anything that inspires us. For a painter it may be a specific subject. Sometimes, for males, it is a woman that they love - mother, wife, daughter. Some muses can vary from work to work for an artist. Some artists have one Muse their entire life.
I personally have several muses. Usually I have a different muse for each work I'm writing. Be it a statue, or a picture, I find and draw inspiration for a piece of my story, and then write around it, and from it.
My love is also a source of inspiration for me, but of a different type. His love and devotion are always available to me, but more importantly is his total belief in me. It's amazing how much power the words, spoken in sincereity, "I believe in you," can have on a person.
On a grand scale, my inspiration comes from the Moon. I've seen the moon nearly every night since I was a young girl. But still, it never ceases to amaze me with its beauty and wonder. It's surprising how a large chunk of rock in the sky can have such a powerful effect, on me and others. It's no wonder the ancients wrote stories about men falling in love with the Moon.
Where do you get your inspiration? I'd like to know! Send an email, with the subject line "DMR Inspiration," to feedback@darkmoonrising.com. I'll be posting sources of inspiration in my next column - no names will be posted, so no worries! Whatever inspires you is important - and it might also inspire others, so please share.
May your inspiration never fade from view,
Angela L. Silliman, editor
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