Celebrating our Muses

/ May 26, 2021
All scruffy on a solo hike. I didn’t know we had a party planned!

I’ve mentioned my Missing Muse and lack of inspiration to write lately. The topics of muses and lack of creative motivation are routine challenges for writers across our community. The pandemic, isolation, political, and economic challenges have touched our lives and many a muse is missing or at least in serious remission.

I’ve written about my muse, Muse Brad, on many occasions. He has been the source of much love, creativity, frustration, and fickleness. Our muses and our writing seem to need a delicate mix of discipline and allowing. Too much allowing and nothing gets done. Too much discipline and we kill our muse’s spirit. The trick is learning to use the right mix to create flow.

Our caring community has nurtured my muse for many years. In fact, you are the main reason I still write. Thank you!

What is important is that we listen and allow our muses to express. They are the creative spark of life inside us that wants to create, live, and love. So we write, photograph, paint, cook, garden, and express in a variety of ways. It’s important to give our muses the opportunity to express.

Having large audiences, sales, published art, etc are all nice, but not the point. The point is to allow and express. Martha Graham addresses the topic beautifully in her famous quote.

There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action… It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction… There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.

Martha Graham

Our muses have been summoned by multiple challenges from Diana, Greg, Allie, and others in our community. I had so much fun previously that I decided to call our collective muses with a twist.

May 31st is my birthday and you’re invited to a muse celebration.

My 60th birthday party.

I’m calling our WordPress family to join me in celebrating our muses as part of my Birthday Party. Everyone is invited, along with past characters like Greg’s ice cream loving muse, Allie’s caffeine addicted muse, Moka Chino, and Diana’s foul mercenary muse. We have quite a motley crew, some of whom I’ve borrowed in past episodes and added my own misfits like Detective Dan, Medusa Mary, and Chimera Soulfire.

Come as you are; scruffy, sexy, dressed in PJs or not, medicated or high on life. Don’t worry about the topic or format. Any story, poem, art, or creativity is welcome!

I’m hoping to celebrate with friends old and new, and maybe bring some muses out of hiding, including my own!

Here are my requests; all participation is optional.

Write a post about your muse or something new from the wells of your imagination. Don’t have a muse? I would be honored if you borrowed one or more of my cheeky characters and created a new adventure for them. Or make up your own misfit muse. Some say our muses are the master, some would say we are. Just find what works for you and let the magic flow.

Include an image of yourself if you’re inclined. It would be nice to see your smiling faces. We’ve been isolated for too long. This party is an opportunity to let our lights shine. Too often, we stay in the background behind our muses, books, and creations.

You can send me links in the comments, but I won’t be reblogging. This is a fun, easy challenge to see who joins my birthday and muse celebration. Your presence is my birthday gift. If you write a post, it’s a wonderful bonus.

Tag your post #MuseFest2021

Let the party begin!

#MuseFest2021

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115 thoughts on “Celebrating our Muses”

  1. What a great idea! I will have to see if my muse is being sweet or persnickety that day. One thing I know about her for sure and she does not show up or perform on command. Sounds similar to some of your Muses!

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  5. You look fabulous, Brad! What a fun idea. Believe it or not, I purposely avoid reflecting on my muse, giving it form and a name. It feels as though it would lose its power. Mystery keeps the flow going for me. So, I will be a wallflower at your party, if that’s okay.🌷

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  7. I love what you said here: “Too much allowing and nothing gets done. Too much discipline and we kill our muse’s spirit. The trick is learning to use the right mix to create flow.” I’m leaning into that “right mix” right now. Thanks for your words of inspiration.

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  11. Great inspiration, Brad, and so welcome for these strange times we are all persevering through. I have just discovered emojis and invented a self emoji thanks to my grandchildren messaging on the iPad and now I have to come face to face with my muse. A season of change and self-discovery. Glad to participate as well as I can. Happy upcoming Birthday, Brad.

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  15. you look great brad!! so happy for your upcoming birthday and love how you’ve decided to celebrate – such a sweet way to connect others and shine a light on individuality and creativity expression all at once. always love your thoughtful posts and tender heart. pre-wishes to you for all things beautiful on your birthday and this new life cycle. holding the hope with you. i’ll see if anything comes through for musing fun. love ya!

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  16. Wonderful, a Birthday party for Brad. I love you in the big Mexican hat, suits you.
    It will be a pleasure to come to your birthday party and think I can find a wild Mexican skirt.
    Happy Birthday dear friend.

    Miriam

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  24. Dressed in deep woods camo,
    she leaps like a graceful deer,
    timid, yet with precision,
    Appearing here and there as if
    through smoke and mirrors,
    Now you see her,
    Now you don’t,
    Look, there she goes, my muse,
    The cleverest of whisperers in the forest.

    CJ Stuart

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  26. Hello, Brad – it seems I missed the party, but I hope you enjoyed your birthday. Belated Happy Birthday greetings! May the year ahead be kind to you, and may your muse come calling.

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  27. Happy belated Birthday, Brad. I enjoyed reading this post and loved Martha’s quote. So agree with what you said ‘The point is to allow and express’. I so feel you on this. As a fellow writer, the number of ‘fans’ you have isn’t always the most important thing. The ability to express and express authentically is so, so much important and it’s such a good feeling when you get to do so. Hopefully you find your muse again soon.

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  28. As always, I’m late to the party. And worse, it’s YOUR party. I’m sorry, Brad. My muse made me do it. She’s grabbed my feet and hurtled me onto my chair the past week, making me scrawl stories day and night, night and day. But I always find a way here to you and your blog. I believe you are a strong soul, even if you are the “silent” type, and that your muse is within you, tickling your fancy, encouraging you to spread your magnificent wings.

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  29. Thank you for the encouragement and belated wishes Pam. I’m happy to celebrate all month long and hope your muse might join the party! 🎉 Glad to know your muse is keeping you busy. I love your writing! 😍

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  31. Wishing you a Belated Happy Birthday Brad!! I am glad i decided to check back for what I missed when I went on a break for a few days 🙂 What a wonderful idea to include us all in your celebration and celebration of life and expression! I feel like ‘Do I even have a muse?’ I am unsure where whatever I write comes from. And sometimes nothing comes. And I seem to be insistent on believing mostly that I don’t have much creativity, just so blessed and lucky to have words flow through me at times.

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  32. Ooh Brad, looks like I missed the muse party and your birthday bash. So sorry. But I hope you had a wonderful happy creative celebration, conjuring up all those muses. Loved the quote! 💜

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  33. Happy Belated 60thj Birthday Brad and so nice to meet you via our sweet muse princess Diana!
    Lovely site you have and this was such a clever celebration,
    I danced for quite sometime so loved your quote so rich with fluid movement and truth❣️
    Visit sometime when you can.
    Blessings for all you wish for this year🙏🌷

    Cindy

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  34. Happy belated birthday, Brad! I’m sorry I missed it last week, but it looks like lots of people, including me, are here to support you in your efforts to reconnect with your muse and keep this blog going. Thank you for the wonderful quote from Graham too. she’s exactly right. Our job is to create when called, and never mind how many like or comment, or how good it is. Satisfaction comes from that wellspring rising within, that putting down on paper (or however the creative spirit moves us), that answering the call, come what may. And don’t worry, the muse may be taking a few days or even weeks off, but she will return, I am sure. Hugs!

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  37. Happy belated birthday, Brad. (Better late than never.) I’ve heard the older we get the longer we get to celebrate. At the age of 65, I’m finally coming around to this realization that letting my muse express herself freely is way more important than selling my art. This attitude is so much less stressful and freeing! Thanks for the nudge!

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  38. Happy belated birthday, Brad! I was on Diana’s blog and saw her haiku’s that were inspired by you (they were beautiful like yours) and she mentioned your birthday. I hope you had a fabulous time celebrating your awesome self! I also hope that the year ahead is a good one and that you are blessed with good health, oodles of love, and happiness. Take good care. Hugs n stuff. ❤️

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  39. Glad late birthday, Brad! I’m sorry I missed it last week, however it appears as though heaps of individuals, including me, are here to help you in your endeavors to reconnect with your dream and make a big difference for this blog. Much thanks to you for the great statement from Graham as well. she’s spot on. Our responsibility is to make when called, and quit worrying about the number of like or remark, or how great it is. Fulfillment comes from that wellspring ascending inside, that writing down (or anyway the inventive soul moves us), that noting the call, no matter what. What’s more, relax, the dream might be requiring a couple of days or even a long time off, yet she will return, I am certain. Embraces!

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