The Care And Feeding Of Muses

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 30 May 18 - 10:08 AM

A blessing for my muse...

Sonnet 05/11/03                         DCCCLVIII

Good night, sweet muse. May you dream of the dawn
When love and light and laughter greet your smile.
May stars gather above, as heart is drawn
To seek for love, and of these dreams make trial.
Rest well, and long: Awake to a new day
Where all is as should be, and you enjoy
The love that you deserve. Heart shows the way
To bright tomorrow: Let sleep fears destroy.
May the Lord bless and keep you; May He make
His countenance to shine on you, and be
Gracious unto you; And may the Lord give
Heart peace: If not for love, then for the sake
Of one that for your happiness gives plea.
You are the light that lets my passions live.

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 29 May 18 - 08:54 AM

Sorry about that- post has been removed. My 27 May 18 - 10:13 PM is now useless.


Another of my Muse sonnets:

Sonnet 24/01/06                         MXLIV

Are you then muse, that I might find a rhyme
Reflected in your eyes? Know you the spell
To hold to dreams, and heart? Can you stop time
With power of just smile? Might you hopes tell?
I look at you, and wonder how to know
If you are what I seek: To dream, the light
Upon desire; To heart, reason to show
Longings to hold and be held throughout night.
Yet, do dreams matter? My thoughts do not bind
More than my own desires: You remain free.
I search, but do not know if what I find
Is just a dream, or vision of “to be”.
I have no better means than to be bold,
And ask if you would want to my heart hold.

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 27 May 18 - 10:13 PM

Can someone translate the previous post?

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 25 May 18 - 02:33 AM

Missed this thread first time round - enjoyed rolling through the intellectual grass.
Regards

P.s. Mind you - I thought Moses got by on a diet of tablets! What? "Muses?"" Oh, sorry...

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 24 May 18 - 11:12 PM

Yes. Mentioned 13Aug 04.

Good book, well worth reading. I keep buying copies to give away.

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: GUEST
Date: 24 May 18 - 08:39 PM

The Lives of the Muses: Nine Women and the Artists They Inspired
Book by Francine Prose

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 24 May 18 - 01:45 PM

Mudlark- "I know my Muse is present when I see or hear something that not only pleases me but resonates so strongly I feel compelled to respond, a sort of giving back, so to speak."

I think this is a perfect description. This is exactly what I feel, when I am talking with my muse ( lowercase) and find that some lines of verse have formed in my mind. I find I have little control over it- it pours through me, as well as out onto the page.

... I would like to think that your Muse is being heard imperfectly- One does have to provide the craft to contain the creativity. The Muse provides the spark- but the person is required to supply the wood ( or coal...) for the fire, to forge out a work, be it song, or poem, or prose. IMHO, of course.

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 24 May 18 - 01:35 PM

OK, another attempt to continue this discussion.

The Getaway workshop in '04 was held, but no-one showed up- seems there was a concert scheduled at the same time. Had to eat a LOT of ginger...

"But I think the Greeks were onto something when they thought of the Muses as A) specialists in a chosen field of art & song, and B) that we mortals are "sponsered," so to speak, by these specialists."

Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Euterpe (flutes and lyric poetry), Thalia (comedy and pastoral poetry), Melpomene (tragedy), Terpsichore (dance), Erato (love poetry), Polyhymnia (sacred poetry), Urania (astronomy).


Euterpe, Erato, and Polyhymnia

Are my Muses.


Star, Kelly, Katie, Rebecca, and Sara

have been my muses.



Sonnet 14/05/18                         MCLXIV

I do not worship muse, but I will pray
That Heaven shares her time. I would be blessed
To see her smile. I have heart’s hope confessed,
But do not demand that she meet desire:
To view her eyes will always verse inspire.
Yet, will it remain for forever wrong
To dream of muse, and for her kisses long?
Must I at such a distance always stay?
I am held by the light of muse’s eyes,
Touching her only with words. I may yearn
For more, but cannot muse’s wish defy.
I hope verse might to muse’s level rise.
That I would something new of Heaven learn.
I know only I cannot muse deny.

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 25 Jun 12 - 08:16 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 10 Jul 07 - 10:22 AM

(just noticed I had posted this sonnet here when I wrote it, but I was looking for a more polite way to refresh besides just typing "refresh"

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 10 Jul 07 - 10:14 AM

What with the start of discussion about the Getaway...


Sonnet 30/06/04       On Muses            CMXX

One's Muses come and go, but when they give,
All one can do is hold the words, and pray
That they will come again. We let dreams live
In hope that Muse might find reason to stay.
What is the reason Muse offers such gem
That we would sell our souls to keep their gift?
Is it just chance, or does their giving stem
From higher purpose, to other souls lift?
Our Muses give us power to share dreams
And tell of heart's desires. But, should we seek
To claim words inspired as our own? Such seems
Ungrateful, to not of thanks for gift speak.
Can any of us say "This work is mine.",
And not admit some part might be divine?

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: CapriUni
Date: 26 Jan 07 - 05:32 PM

The Muses of the old Greeks may not walk among us today in long flowng gowns, with sandals and harps.

But I think the Greeks were onto something when they thought of the Muses as A) specialists in a chosen field of art & song, and B) that we mortals are "sponsered," so to speak, by these specialists.

I am gradually, but with increasing rapidity coming to the conclusion that my muse has no interest whatsoever in helping me out with songs of social commentary or politicall protest. No matter how many ideas for such songs come into my head, I always seem to struggle with them and the end result is never as clear or concise or touching as the ones I've written on so-called "lighter" themes (I've been laboring over one protesting the gift of diamonds as expression of love for about a month, now, and it's going nowhere).

Do others find this to be true for them, as well?

I'm beginning to suspect that my Musely patron (matron?) is Thalia: the muse of comedy and pastoral poetry. So maybe I'll look to the 2007 Joke thread, for my next bit of inspiration...

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: Genie
Date: 20 Jun 06 - 12:16 AM

I just discovered this thread, and it seems to tie in with the new thread on Tips for Singer-Songwriters, and I found that refreshing. ;)

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: hesperis
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 10:52 PM

My writing muse seems to like trance music a lot. But then, I write fantasy and that whole ethereal scifi-with-a-beat sound is exactly the right feel.

For music... Hmm. The muse tends to come of her own accord, especially when I've been playing with new sounds and new equipment.

For lyrics, it gets a little trickier. Often visual arts will provide the spark that the muse likes to fly in on.

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 14 Oct 04 - 09:01 PM

ok- ginger, Reese's P'butter cups, Hershey's minis, various altoids, cashews, stuffed olives, and mushrooms.....

other contributions are welcome.

This workshop will be a POLITICS FREE ZONE. Please leave arguments, buttons, and clubs outside the workshop. Thank you.

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 14 Oct 04 - 04:08 AM

only 10-15 pounds of ginger, so be there early...

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 14 Oct 04 - 04:06 AM

Ginger? Chocolate? I'm inspired already!

"Yesterday, all my chocolate seemed to melt away
and oh! the cleaning bills I had to pay!
but none of that - at the Getaway.

"Yesterday, I had to handle chocolate gingerly
but in the cold it hardens easily (the chocolate!!!)
I'm heading there so eagerly..."

OK, it gets better after I have tasted the ginger!

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 14 Oct 04 - 03:52 AM

refresh- discussion material for FSGW Getaway workshop

I will have ginger, chocolate, and other tidbits to tempt the Muse...


8-{E

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 12 Oct 04 - 01:13 PM

ditto

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 01 Sep 04 - 04:40 PM

brought back to the top just because I wanted to...

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 15 Aug 04 - 12:29 PM

and I didn't even notice that was the eleventy-first post!

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 15 Aug 04 - 12:28 PM

Well, my Getaway budget will stretch to 10 pounds of ginger and about 100 Reese's PB cups. Workshop on this thread's topic still to be scheduled, but any comments about what people would like to see talked about ( re inspiration) can be put here, or sent to me by PM.

Thanks, all.

Bruce

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 02:23 PM

I find the thought of Reese's Peanut Butter cups amuseing..

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 10:09 AM

Reading "The Lives of the Muses"...


Did you know that Alice ( Of "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass") was given an honorary Doctorate in museology by Columbia University in the 1930's?


Are Reese's Peanut butter cups a muse-attracting food?

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 26 Jul 04 - 10:27 AM

Well, I have been pricing ginger... the cheap, local kind, sliced, or the (more expensive) Australian cubed... I can bring lots of one, or about half of the other... Any preferences? ( re Getaway Muse-feeding)


8-{E

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: GUEST,Anne Croucher
Date: 17 Jul 04 - 08:02 PM

I think there have to be musons - they are a variant of ideons, interstellar particals which ocassionaly encounter a brain and cause a flash of inspiration as some hitherto unknown idea springs into being.

The muson variation is a slower kind of operator, or maybe it has an orbital tendency so that for a short while the words and rhymes just seem to flow effortlessly, and then it is gone.

Some brains seem to attract musons and hold them, maybe keeping them in orbit for long periods, whilst others seem to be anti-muson. Unfortunately this does not stop them writing poetry.

Anne

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: Cap't Bob
Date: 16 Jul 04 - 10:14 PM

Many of you have mentioned muses coming and going. Well the Posey Lake Akademy of Musicology has been researching this phenomenon for years. "If they do go ~ where do they go?"   After years of searching in desperation I found myself on a small island located in norther Lake Huron. The natives call it Bob Lo it's name on the map is "Boise Blanc" and others refer to it as Boy's Blank. Well I was....

"sitting on the beach out on Bob Lo,
Huron's waves lapping at my toes.
A gentle breeze wafts the sandy shore of Bob Lo,
it's the place to be where all the muses go."

Cap't Bob

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 16 Jul 04 - 10:25 AM

oops- that should have been 23 grams, not 21. Sorry about that...

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 16 Jul 04 - 10:19 AM

more ideas for muse-food?

Cashews?

Macadamia nuts? ***

Popcorn?

cheese?



*** Usefull fact- To make a macadamia nut into a "lowfat" version, one need only dip it in chocolate- that drops the fat from 21 grams per ounce to 17! (BG)

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 12 Jul 04 - 01:22 PM

Jeri, Jeri.. never nyah at a man with ginger and chocolate...

Are you going to be in at the Getaway Friday night? I think I can talk Rita into giving me a space that night ( 8Pm on??). I will bring at least 5 pounds of ginger, so we have to keep it small (BG) If you want to bring chocolate, I will try to get someone local for the cheesecake... Now, about the tiramasu....

Really, a workshop on creativity would be good. I do not know how to invoke my muse- but I will try any reasonable suggestions. Perhaps between a number of us we might be able to come up with some ideas.

Or we could adjourn to the sushi place just north of Baltimore on Monday- it is an all-you-can-eat buffet... Maybe an hour south of the Getaway, I think lunch is from noon to three... Not sure that would allow us to try chocolate as a muse-food, though.

8-{E

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: Jeri
Date: 12 Jul 04 - 01:01 PM

damn...

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: Jeri
Date: 12 Jul 04 - 01:00 PM

And an unofficial songwriters' get-together doesn't sound like a bad idea.

(I do believe I got the 100th post. Nyah, nyah.)

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 12 Jul 04 - 12:59 PM

I will take you up on that...

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: Jeri
Date: 12 Jul 04 - 12:58 PM

Every song is a love song, vs. " Actually, I think it is all the strong emotions that feed creativity-". Name a strong emotion for which love, in some form, isn't somehow the basis. Why is a person angry, grieving, hurt, happy? Because something happened to someone or something they love.

Regarding being excited vs. being relaxed, both are important and they aren't mutually exclusive, if you're talking about mental states. You have to be excited, because that's what makes you care enough about something to write, and it's what motivates you to do so. Relaxation is necessary so the words and music flow naturally. It's possible to write when you lack either, but the results are likely to sound boring and/or forced.

Any sort of music takes my mind off what I'm doing. Some folks deal well with 'wallpaper' music. There IS no 'background' for me when it comes to music. If it's on, I listen to it.

"chocolate, ginger, cheesecake, tiramisu"
Feed me these, and I will write a song for you
I don't yearn for roses red or violets of blue
Gimme chocolate, ginger, cheesecake, tiramasu

If it's that wonderful Australian candied ginger, I think a couple of pounds would be OK. Of course, other people might want some. I have access to really good chocolate, but I don't know what the temperatures will be like. Things (like cheesecake) that need to be kept cold don't do really well on 9-hour car trips. Especially if I'm in the car with them, unsupervised.

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 12 Jul 04 - 09:02 AM

Well, I have acess to the Glut food coop- they have both candied ginger and ginger tea. I can bring the ginger ( good to know how many pounds, though) and the chocolate ( have to have a variety- bittersweet, dark, milk...) Anyone signing up to bring the cheesecake?

8-{E

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 12 Jul 04 - 08:59 AM

Candied Ginger?

I think a few rounds of experiments with chocolate, ginger, cheesecake, tiramisu, etc are warrented.

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 12 Jul 04 - 08:25 AM

Jeri,

"A friend here who is a songwriter, says something I believe is true: "All songs are love songs." I think love is necessary for inspiration."

I can agree with this... Must be why chocolate is such an important part of this thread. (BG)

Actually, I think it is all the strong emotions that feed creativity- but most of us enjoy the pleasant ones more, and prefer them to inspire our various works.

The questions I have are, ie it better to get excited about something, to bring out creativity, or to be relaxed to the point that one's semi/unconcious can contribute? Does soothing backgorund music help or hinder the creative process? Are the sharp flavours of peppers and ginger better than the smooth taste of chocolate or cheesecake? Are dark, shadowed forests more inspiring than bright sunlit beaches ( though one must factor in the waves...)

Any comments? If I bring a couple of pounds of ginger and chocolate to the getaway, and a few bottles of some potable liquid, can we have a study of this?

8-{E

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 08 Jul 04 - 09:58 AM

I think a brainstorming/discussion group on "The care and feeding Muses" would be a great workshop. - Perhaps followed by a "Song Challenge!" workshop?

BTW - anyone else heard the "rumour" that a certain Gaelic Goddess will be attending Getaway? (or else!)

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: matai
Date: 08 Jul 04 - 09:49 AM

Well I made an inordinately large chocolate cake the other day, covered it with glad wrap and put it in the fridge. When I took it out tonight I noticed a couple of wedges missing. Now I live on my own at the moment so I figure my muse must be hovering quite close by.
Methinks she is returning.

Matai

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: GUEST,Crystal
Date: 08 Jul 04 - 06:15 AM

:So, the question becomes, "Is chocolate the proper food to offer the Muse?"

It depends how hyperactive your muse is! I feed mine on carrots.

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 08 Jul 04 - 05:19 AM

"who can figure out Raglan Road or Rocky Raccoon?"

or 'American Pie'?
... or 'MacArthur Park is melting in the dark' .... :-)

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: mg
Date: 08 Jul 04 - 01:20 AM

Au contraire..I love to edit and cut stuff out. Actually I really don't cut much of my stuff because I don't put it in in the first place...I will leave blanks where the rhythm goes. Like old fashioned typesetting. I don't put a word in that doesn't fit in (theoretically of course). What I think matters more than almost anything is the rhythm of the words. What the actual words are or mean I dont think matters that much. Like who can figure out Raglan Road or Rocky Raccoon?

So if anyone has too many words for a song I would be glad to help edit. Of course i would probably lose the meaning but you would end up with fairly good rhythm.

mg

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: Jeri
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 10:19 PM

Susan, I believe Bruce arrived at Mudcat after he met some 'Catters at a Getaway. Rita's always looking for ideas.

I'm with Jerry, though. The more I analyze the act of song-writing, the harder it gets. The more I try to force inspiration, the farther away it gets. It seems like the type of thing that could be explained with one sentence, ending with 'Grasshopper'.

I've been sort of stuck. I think I managed to get myself un-stuck a couple of days ago. Thinking about rhyming and meter were seriously interfering with trying to get anything creative to come out. The solution was to just let my mind wander a bit and write prose. Guess what - it's not bad, and half of it managed to rhyme anyway. Editing will be the hard part, but it always is. Nobody wants to cut stuff out.

A friend here who is a songwriter, says something I believe is true: "All songs are love songs." I think love is necessary for inspiration. The ability to write, critique your work, and edit are a whole 'nother beast.

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 07:08 PM

Read 'Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain'

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: Amos
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 06:49 PM

If you actually do the things I mentioned on 04 Jul 04 - 03:10 PM
you won't need to go any further. If you want individual tasks, do the following:

1. Find a simple meditation course that is not overly complex and sign up for it.

2. Practice meditation daily for at least 15 minutes each morning.

3. Locate a copy of "The Artist's Way" and read it once thorugh without doing anyhting.

4. Re-read it up to the first task it asks you to do and do it. Proceed throguh it doing each step. Continue the daily meditation while you do this.

Amos

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 05:47 PM

Getaway workshops as I understand them are usually not so much teaching events as peer-sharing events, and it's not a Mudcat event either-- we're there as guests of the hosting group (FSGW).

BB I would say try your idea at a Mudcat Gathering, and see how it goes.

~Susan

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 05:43 PM

hmmm... anyone else out there have anything to add? Any hints, besides the above thread?

I think it might require some kind of weekend session, where we all stay up and brainstorm for a few days. Not sure if that will help everyone.

I found that a workshop I was in that gave "assignments" was actually usefull- Each month we were given a phrase, or term, and told to do something with it- that was all. The next month we got back together and read our efforts. I know that Keats and Leigh Hunt did the same type of thing, with verse. No talking about it until the next month, so each effort took off from the single phrase.

8-{E

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 05:19 PM

Hey, bruce:

There are many things I under-excell at. One of them is trying to suggest to people how to "create." I don't know "how" to write a song, and I surely don't know "how" to stir the muse. I suspect that it is very different for each of us, and I have a very casual, wait- for-inspiration approach to creativity. How do I write an outline for that? I most likely experience things very differently than almost everyone on this thread. Every experience is valid, as far as I'm concerned. I DO share your experience of often being moved to write as I'm drifting off to sleep, am sleeping, or am just waking up.
So, what would we do in a workshop? Give everyone a sleeping pill at the beginning of the workshop and ask them to write a song when they wake up?

Seriously, my creativity seems to flow from fully experiencing life... whether it's a time of spiritual reflection, revelation, friendship, conversations, long walks... all the thing I talked about in the beginning of this thread. "Fully experiencing life" sound suspicuosly like b.s., so I hesitate to even say something like that. Truth is, too much of my time is spent on auto-cruise, and it takes a heaightened awareness to even see the world around me.

Wrote a song about that once:

We are drowning in the details of life
Seeking answers without any clues
We all think that we're playing Wheel Of Fortune
When our lives are more like Trivial Pursuit

I think the idea for a workshop is a good one. I just don't think that I have much to offer.

Jerry

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: beardedbruce
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 04:11 PM

Mine would be happy to do lunch, but, alas, has no cd- I listen to various music at times, but my muse seems to come when I am about to sleep, or just waking. I think it like dreams. I always have a spiral notebook and pen by my bed- and use it to try to capture the pieces of verse that my muse leaves me.

But seriously, what about an outline for the Getaway- or for mudcat? Techniques of finding one's creative voice, whatever it might be. Perhaps we could work it up into a full-blown weekend workshop...

8-{E

Subject: RE: The Care And Feeding Of Muses
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 12:35 PM

My muse would be happy to exchange one of his CDs for one of your muse's, bruce. Perhaps they could do lunch?

Jerry