Muses are sources of inspiration, traditionally personified as beautiful people whispering ideas into our ears. They drive us, motivate us, urge us to dream and create. If I believed in gods in the traditional sense, these are the deities I would worship. But why should we seek inspiration from outside ourselves?
It is easy to say that I am inspired by the sunrise, by nature, by words in my ear, but what of the times that beauty does not show itself? Are we lost without outside motivation?
I find that when I am not particularly inspired, I can always retreat into my own head and find there a different kind of beauty, a purely human beauty, that cannot be found elsewhere. This is my greatest inspiration: that of the human psyche.
Why should I discount myself when noting the things that drive me to create? My world is of my own making, born of my own imagination. I honor the muses of the world by honoring the muse within myself.
Stay tuned for more “Behind the Poem” entries throughout the month of April, and if you want a sneak peek at tomorrow’s poem, check my Patreon. (It’s free!)
Happy reading,
Sibyl