When the ancient Greek poets began a great work, they didn't ask themselves for inspiration. They asked the Muses. "Sing to me, Muse," begins the Odyssey. The idea was beautiful: creativity wasn't something you forced. It was something you invited.
Daughters of Memory
The Muses were nine sisters, daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. That family tree says a lot: for the Greeks, all the arts were born of memory. Each Muse watched over a different art.
Meet the nine sisters
1. Calliope, Muse of epic poetry, often shown with a writing tablet. For when you need to tell a big story. 2. Clio, Muse of history, holding a scroll. For when you want to understand where you come from. 3. Euterpe, Muse of music and lyric song, often with a flute. For when you need a melody in your day. 4. Erato, Muse of love poetry, sometimes with a lyre. For tenderness and love letters. 5. Melpomene, Muse of tragedy, holding a tragic mask. For when you need to feel something deeply, and let it pass. 6. Thalia, Muse of comedy, with a comic mask. For lightness and laughter. 7. Terpsichore, Muse of dance. For a body that needs to move. 8. Polyhymnia, Muse of sacred hymns, often shown silent and thoughtful. For contemplation and quiet. 9. Urania, Muse of astronomy, with a globe. For when you need to look up at something bigger than yourself.
Which one do you need today?
Read the list slowly. One of them will call to you. Maybe you need Thalia's lightness after a heavy week. Maybe Polyhymnia's silence. Maybe Urania, and a walk under the stars tonight.
Then invite her in. Put on music for Euterpe, write a few lines for Erato, dance in the kitchen for Terpsichore, read a page of history for Clio.
Look for them in art
The Muses appear everywhere in painting and sculpture, from ancient vases to Poussin's Inspiration of the Poet in the Louvre. Next time you visit a museum, look for a woman with a lyre, a mask or a globe. You'll start seeing them everywhere.
A little inspiration, every month
The Digital subscription brings art, music, books, opera, ballet and places into your month, with at least one video each month, photo stories and the digital edition of "(meditating) On Art". All nine Muses, in one place.
Remember to take as much time as you need, and meet me at the next one.
Love, Evi