Tag: Inspiration

Who’s Your Muse?

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Where does inspiration come from?

We are surrounded by wonders of the human imagination: breathtaking architecture, musical masterpieces, unforgettable plays and poems, world-changing inventions. Human beings are capable of profound innovation—but what is the source of these ideas?

It’s a big question that has been considered by philosophers and theologians, artists and scientists. Answers have been offered in the form of myths and scripture, theories and studies.

One ancient answer to where the ideas come from is: the Muses. The Muses bestow their gifts on humanity, each one dedicated to a specific aspect of the imagination.

A photograph of nine women in the clothing of ancient Rome, each holding a different tool or instrument. They are representations of the nine muses.
Mosaic of the nine Muses found in the ancient Roman city of Augusta Treverorum (modern-day Trier), ca. 250 CE

The story of Mother Christmas is my answer to where does inspiration come from—and what does that magic have to do with Christmas?

The Santa Claus legend is one in a long line of stories about travelers bringing gifts in dark of winter. Around the world, many of the stories told in the cold, dark of winter have to do with finding hope in the promise of spring, and finding inspiration in the mysteries and dreams of the long nights.

What happens when you bring together a young, passionate Muse and a generous, spiritual seeker, united by a desire to inspire humanity and protect them against a growing threat of creatures that feed off fear?

An image of a young woman holding the hands of a young man in a Byzantine church. He will eventually become Saint Nicholas and she will become Mother Christmas.
A panel from Mother Christmas, Volume 1: The Muse.

Why, you get the story of Mother Christmas!

In Volume 1 of the Mother Christmas trilogy, you are introduced to the Muses and their home, the Realm of the Mousai. From ancient times, the Muses have helped to direct people toward their creative potential, each House with its own special focus: watching over them, whispering encouragement, sending dreams and cultivating their fruitful imagination.

I’d like to introduce you now to the Houses of the Mousai as they appear in Mother Christmas:

House of Terpsikhore: Muse of the Body Arts
House of Thaleia: Muse of Comedy and Theater
House of Kalliope: Muse of the Arts
House of Ourania: Muse of the Sciences and Technology
House of Melpomene: Muse of Memorials and Tragedy
House of Kleio: Muse of Leadership and Honor
House of Erato: Muse of Passion and Compassion
House of Euterpe: Muse of Music and Mathematics
House of Polyhymnia: Muse of Spirituality

And then there are those without a house: The Silent Ones, who follow Dea Tacita.

Would you like to know who your Muse is?

Take the quiz below and learn which Muse inspires you.

Art Inspires Art Inspires Art…

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After The Silence of Trees was published, it was a treat to hear from readers by email and social media. More rare, but so wonderful, was art made in response to the novel.

Elis Alves is an artist currently residing in Curitiba, Southern Brazil, who tagged me on Instagram last week with her most recent project, “Visual 56” which combines photography and arts with her love of literature. Elis creates visual art in response to some of her favorite quotes. Each week she also writes about her creative process.

You can see the art Elis Alves created for The Silence of Trees and read her explanation in the link below. (Fun fact: The previous week’s image was inspired by a quote from Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere. 🙂 )

http://www.art.elisalves.com/2016/08/30/week-24-making-of-semana-24/

I love the ways that we continue to inspire one another, building on that creative continuum as one artist influences another: in reaction to, in response to, in imitation of, in communication with, and so on…

From Awkward to Awesome

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For those of us who grew up in the 80s and early 90s, the brainy Encyclopædia Britannica kid from the tv commercial was an iconic image of what a nerdy kid looked and sounded like. For those of us who *were* nerdy kids in the 80s, it was an extremely familiar image. (I certainly had the big glasses.)

It’s likely no surprise that my Geek Parenting coauthor, Stephen H. Segal, was also a nerd; and when he was young, he shared enough of a physical resemblance to the Encyclopædia Britannica kid (played by Donavan Freberg), that he was quite often mistaken for the awkward commercial know-it-all.

Much later, Stephen met and befriended his adolescent doppelgänger, and Donavan turned out to be a kindred spirit. We hear enough about how people fall from great heights and notoriety, but sometimes the story is better than that. Sometimes people take the gifts they have been given and work to make this world better and more beautiful.

Click here to read Stephen’s blog post about how “This iconic geek kid “had a report due on space.” Spoiler alert: He grew up to be awesome.”

(Be sure to also follow the link in the story to read the entire interview with Donavan about his legendary comedian/ advertising creative director father, Stan Freberg.)

I love the way that Donavan’s story shows how creating a space for your kids to figure out who they are can help them to eventually embrace their authentic selves. It’s a valuable reminder, and it’s a really good story.

donavan