The muse, for me, does seem to be some sort of divine inspiration as Plato say it is. I'm a writer, and I always describe the desire to write as a sort of "itch in my fingers" that arises seemingly out of the blue. It seems that something does come over me, or possess me as Plato would put it, that inspires me to craft something. However, as we talked about in class, my muses are often people, as well. As a journalist, my muses have to be people. I am a feature writer, and many of my stories are profiles on outstanding members or the community or those with interesting life stories. Therefore, their own experiences inspire me to write on their behalf and tell their story with the community. However, other writers inspires me as well. Michael Jackson was influenced by James Brown at a young age the way I was with Ray Bradbury when I entered high school or Hemingway when I entered college. I was always inspired by people who could use language to create something beautiful, and could craft language in a way that was interesting and new. I, too, was inspired to write from a young age by some force outside of myself that I still cannot quite identify to this day. I used to write short stories — and began doing so at the age of 7 — that often drew for my own life experiences. And I told my grandmother I wanted to be a writer just like her. I suppose, in a sense, she too was a source of inspiration for me. She encouraged me and shared her own writing with me often. I admired her as a young girl and wanted to take after. I suppose my grandmother could also be considered a muse because her nature possessed my spirit and moved me to create, and still does well into my life.
However, I am not only a journalist. I am poet and an essayist, and much of my work draws from my experiences with my boyfriend: the lover as the muse. I think it is true that we can often place our loves on a pedestal so they are close to the divine, and our spirit becomes invigorated by their energy. This energy then drives us to create. Countless pages in my journal are poems dedicated to him, or stream of consciousness entires about the way he makes me feel. And those poems and entries, in a way, are cathartic because some of them are things I could and would not say aloud. They are an expression of my innermost feelings. Therefore, my boyfriend is also my creative muse, but this form of work lacks the creator-to-spectator relationship. I create only for my own benefit and my own catharsis. This begs the question: Is this type of art for my own good and catharsis as valid as my journalism? Is journalism art since it is literature, and is derived from the inspiration of my own personal writing muses? Is the specific crafting of language art? I'd like to say yes. Plato said that art is inspired by something and that it drives you to madness. It isn't easy. My work is not easy. I love it, but sometimes it is the worst thing in my life. Searching for the right word can put me in a frenzy or down in the dumps. Writer's block is my worst enemy. It is my passion and my problem all at once more often than not. If art involves struggle and compromise, as Plato seemed to have believed, I would have to say my writing is art, and I have many muses that inspire it.
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AuthorMegan Carroll is a journalist, singer, dancer, artist and Philosophy of Art student at Gonzaga University. She is exploring the meaning of art in her own prose, examination of philosophy and late-night musings. ArchivesCategories |