A Muse on the Muse
Today, I’d like to introduce the first guest poster of the Muse in May series — Deb Dorchak, the founder and lead designer of Sirius Graphix.
Deb’s experience as a graphic designer began when her muse first picked up a crayon. Since then, she’s worked in the graphic industry for more than 25 years, expressing her “passion for telling stories through images.”
Her team at Sirius Graphix will help you promote yourself and your business through eye-catching design and unforgettable imaging.
Thanks Deb, for guest posting and for your creative reflections in this post….
Throughout history many artists, writers and musicians have looked to the Muses for a spark of inspiration. The same still holds true today, but it’s more than the artsy folk looking for inspiration from these fickle sisters.
In the beginning there were only three muses who inspired literature and the arts. Aoidē, the muse of song; Meletē, the muse of practice; and Mnēmē, the muse of memory.
As the times changed, the muses grew in number to the nine we know today: Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Plyhymnia, Terpisichore, Thalia and Urania.
All of these muses reflected the time period when the arts thrived.
Modern Muses for Modern Times
This got me thinking, if the muses are reflective of their period in history, what would our modern muses be?
We’ve come a long way since the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Our lives encompass much more than literature and the arts. We need inspiration for so many things beyond artistic expression.
Then again, isn’t everything we do an artistic expression? Whether it’s working in an office pushing paper or entering data, serving in a restaurant, or maintaining a home and family; we all have our own way of expressing ourselves.
So, after a little thought and some brainstorming, here are my Muses for the New Millennium.
Techa: The Muse of Technology
Technology is more a part of our lives than ever before. Each and every day someone is coming up with a new way to communicate, do business or get from one place to another.
Scientists, inventors, doctors and programmers all need inspiration, too. Their great creations may not fall into the category of the arts, but they need new ideas, new perspective and that ever elusive flash of enlightenment to advance.
Feducia: The Muse of Innocence
Do you remember when you were a child how you used to come up with great ideas just because you believed in them? The world was wide open, imagination a vast, untamed prairie and your possibilities were endless.
Every opportunity was a new learning experience and most of it accomplished through play.
Playing allows us to free our minds from the daily stresses of bills, work, and other responsibilities of adult life. When we play, our minds are a blank sheet of paper ready for this Muse to scribble on with a box of new crayons (yes, that would be the BIG box).
Hestia: The Muse of Hearth and Home
Home has come home, so to speak, over the last several years. With more people working from the home and making more time to be a whole family instead of ships passing in the night, Hestia is enjoying a comeback.
That’s right; a comeback.
Hestia was the original goddess of home and hearth for the Greeks, and her Roman twin was Vesta.
So light a candle, light a fire in your fireplace and keep those home fires burning for her. You never know when you could use a little inspiration around the house.
Deb Dorchak is the Muse for Sirius Graphics/Blue Sun Studio, Inc. Her abundance of ideas constantly keeps the Blue Sun team on their toes, so much so, that they probably won’t be running out of inspiration any time soon.
If you’d like to read more posts by Deb, or from anyone on the Blue Sun Studio network, please visit Sirius Graphix, Life’s Little Inspirations or Saya no Uchi.
Photo Credit: Tant C
Linda
Barbara Swafford
Deb Dorchak
Tony Single
Chris Edgar
Sara
Jeffrey Willius
Doug Gene
{ 25 comments }
I need to bring out and light a candle, and certainly to play out more. Let’s see if that helps me getting inspired.
.-= Miguel de Luis´s last blog ..Radical Transparency =-.
Love it! I’d forgotten about Hestia, even though I’m sure she’s responsible for my daily being. And yes, treating everything we do as artistic expression is a wonderful concept. I need to remind myself of that. Thank you, ladies.
.-= Betsy Wuebker´s last blog ..What I Learned from Motherhood =-.
This is awesome Deb – love Fenducia best. She kicks the ass of all those people who told you to grow up, when you knew all along it wouldn’t be a wise decision. Davina – have added this on Facebook too, cos you still haven’t joined. I wish you would – please. :)
Deb!
Great to see you here! The Muse of Innocence. That one’s just jumping out for me. There are unlimited things we can do…whatever our imagination dreams up (and begins to play with)! What a completely wonderful thought!!
.-= Lance´s last blog ..Sunday Thought For The Day =-.
@Davina: Thank you so much for asking me to guest post. This was a challenging topic. So much has been written on being inspired it took a little thinking to come up with a spin. BUT! The Muses were with me! Yay!
@Miguel: Yes! Light a candle and play, but don’t play with fire! Or at least keep that inner child away from the matches. Just ask Wendi, you may end up burning the laundry.
@Betsy: You’re very welcome. When everything you do is done with love, it shows. No matter what it is.
@Cath: Thank you! And you’re welcome.
@Lance: Ahhh, then you are hearing the call to come play! Hope you got to do so today. That’s what I did, and boy was it ever refreshing!
.-= Deb Dorchak´s last blog ..Sirus Sunday: This Post is Approved by Rose =-.
I love the muse of innocence, how we had once used to play and dreamt of reaching for the stars. When we grow up and gain knowledge, we were supposed to become wiser but some had given up on reaching for the stars; reasons and other circumstances continue to stop one from reaching for the stars. Fortunately, some others have built spaceships which will allow them to continue their journeys to the stars. We need to remind ourselves that what is stopping us are not the reasons and other circumstances but we, ourselves.
.-= BK´s last blog ..Be the Change You Want to See in the World =-.
Hi Deb.
Thanks so much for being a part of the Muse in May series. This was great AND unique! Do you rent your muse out by any chance? Lol. Where have you read about being inspired? I haven’t read anything of that sort ANYWHERE on the Internet :-D
Hi Miguel.
Play out has got to do the trick. Or else lighting that fire under your… er… well, you know :)
Hi Betsy.
I love this concept about treating everything we do as artistic. Good food for thought, cause I think we take it for granted.
Hi Cath.
I’ve missed you… cause YOU kick ass! :-) I know… Facebook. I’m afraid to sign up and find yet another way to suck time from my day. But I’ve been thinking about it more and more… so you just may see me there soon. Thanks for adding this post up there.
Hi Lance.
The Muse of Innocence is my fav too. Definitely opens the road to playfulness and curiosity — how can you go wrong with that?
Hi BK.
The muse of innocence reminds me of the “beginner’s luck” scenario. I don’t know about you, but beginner’s luck has showed itself many times and then, trying to recreate or repeat the ‘win’ tends to be less than successful. It’s those fortunate accidents that have resulted in so many inventions and discoveries.
I like the idea of Techa. I have a doctor friend who insists that science is very much art.
@Davina: Um…did I tell you my nickname for a number of years was Muse? As for reading about inspiration elsewhere, I think I read more stuff about *how* to get inspired and get over writer’s block more times than I can mention. The other kind of inspiration? I think those would be my own posts on the subject ;)
@BK: The Muse of Innocence was inspired by The Fool in the tarot deck. It’s about jumping off that cliff and having total faith in what you’re doing despite everyone telling you “Don’t Jump! Look first!”
Sometimes looking first just ruins everything.
.-= Deb Dorchak´s last blog ..Sirus Sunday: This Post is Approved by Rose =-.
Nice one. You’ve got me lighting a candle now. Seriously. :)
I reckon my muse must look something like a cloud of daffodil spores. Yup, she’s the Muse of Scatterance. :P
.-= Tony Single´s last blog ..The Hedgehog Dilemma =-.
Hi Vered.
Creative thinking is an art. I can see how science and art are similar. Art and science both involve insight, observation and interpretation. And hey, I’d say there is a science to mixing the right colours for a painting; excluding paint-by-number, that is.
@Deb,
Guess it’s no *accident* that you’re kicking off the guest posting for this Muse series. You knew I was being sarcastic right? ;) I’ve read tonnes of posts about overcoming writer’s block. I’m going to start seeing them as having been written by the muse; works of art :-D
Hi Tony.
The Muse of Scatterance? “Catch me if you can”, right? :-) Your muse is an excellent cartoonist; she brings it home in the end. I guess to you it’s like playing a game of football… tackling all those pieces of her for that touchdown. Meh… that’s all I got this morning… it’s still early. :-D
I love this poster and your story Deb. I played in nature for 4 hours yesterday and I love my crayons and markers. So much so I have them in a box in my kitchen…creativity gets a big place in my heart and home.
.-= Tess The Bold Life´s last blog ..Courage, Strength and Wisdom =-.
Great Post Deb and Davina…
OH the call of the muse….I seem to have the muse of sleep going on today…wonder what her name is? On Christmas day we all take out colors and paper and paint and joy and listen to music and create something. One of my kiddos did a 3 dimensional paper mask of a lion as a symbol for her year… I did a pastel rose….What fun! What Creativity!
.-= patricia´s last blog ..Blessed with Sunshine =-.
Ahh, when innocence meets technology, heart and home — I think I am at my penultimate. Except from the innocent part, as Britney Spears — I am not that… well you know :)
And I’m with Patricia the sleep muse today — what’s up with that?? EVERYONE I talk to is sleepy. Are you sleepy Davina? Are you, Deb?
Maybe I just need to get out paint and brush?
And yeah, cool to see ass-kicker Cath out! FB, Tweets, etc, etc. It’s hard to do it ALL!
xo
.-= Jannie Funster´s last blog ..Happy Mothers’ Day (a poem) =-.
I enjoyed the Muse of Technology. Never thought of looking at technology from an artistic point of view.
I definitely have to spend more time playing.
@Patricia & Jannie: Morphea; the muse of sleep! Don’t underestimate sleep. Our first novel was mostly formed from whole scenes Wendi dreamed the night before.
And yes, very sleepy. My whole team is in town this week and we were honored by one of Hestia’s own: Miss Allison Day, who made one of the most inspirational sushi meals we’ve ever had.
@Jim: Technology definitely has it’s artistic value. If you’re not creating the art itself, you’re creating the means and ways for the rest of us to create our art! Rock on Devotees of Techa!!
.-= Deb Dorchak´s last blog ..Sirus Sunday: This Post is Approved by Rose =-.
Hi Tess.
I swear that you can get drunk on being out in nature :) The time flies too, doesn’t it… when you’re out enjoying it? About the only thing my sisters and I loved about going back to school was getting new crayons and pencils. Though sometimes we’d get carried away sharpening them…
Hi Patricia.
I’m laughing at Deb’s reply to you re Morphea, the muse of sleep… hah, hah :-D Perfect! Hey, I say if you have the time and place and sleep calls, go for it. It really is a luxury these days. — Morphea Luxurascia, or something like that.
Hi Jannie.
Okay, miss none-ocence (or nonsense) :) I was sleepy all day on Saturday. Stayed in my robe until… yikes, 4 pm. It was gr8! Must be something in the air… or the change of seasons???
Hi Jim.
Yeah with you being trained as a mechanic, I can see your draw to the muse of technology.
Hi Deb.
You’ve been a great hostess here this week. Thank you :-) I bet Allison’s sushi rocks. I imagine preparing sushi is quite an art, too.
Hi Deb and Davina .. I love these and learning a little more of those days .. when people too got forgotten about and then suddenly re-emerge .. life creation from the hearth.
Techa certainly seems to play her role .. we need to help eliminate the fear that the general population have of her .. she’s new. Feducia .. I’m sure I must have dreamt, talked, chatted away .. but I remember my brother who constantly chattered from dawn to dusk, always with fantastigorical ideas and thoughts .. my mother now too talks happily to herself.
Untamed prairie .. love that phrase. Vesta – I remember .. from the matches for the hearth (Hestia’s twin) .. Great thoughts .. thanks Hilary
.-= Hilary´s last blog ..Shambles, Pawn Brokers, Hay Market, & Portobello .. evolving street names … =-.
Deb, this was a lovely, thoughtful post. Living here in Greece, I am more aware than I used to be of the Muses and ancient mythology ~ so this fit nicely with things that run through my brain. I especially loved your “new” muses, my favorite being Feducia. :)
Davina, I love the new direction your blog is taking and this lovely May theme. Can’t wait to read the rest of what you have in store for us.
.-= Chania Girl´s last blog ..What a Difference a Year Makes: The Lessons I’ve Learned =-.
I slept 23 hours of the past 24…did make it to Yin-Yoga today…now attempting to stay awake and write an new post for this week and prepare for book group….Morphea….they say you burn more calories sleeping than watching TV…I hope so…I think my body is still working hard at healing…morphing into the new and improved me! I appreciate your responses.
.-= patricia´s last blog ..Blessed with Sunshine =-.
Davina — Thanks for hosting this wonderful post about muses by Deb:~)
Deb — I think I like all three of your muses. After all, they are all part of my life. Lately, I’ve been enjoying the company of Feducia more and more.
I had almost forgotten her, but she’s back in my life now. Actually, she’s back, in part, because of both Techa and Hestia. Because I began to work out of my home, I discovered the wonders of blogging, which then reminded me that play comes in many different forms:~)
Thanks for sharing the Modern Muses with us:~)
.-= Sara´s last blog ..Story Photo: What’s To See? =-.
Hi Hilary.
Techa has been working full speed it seems. Technology keeps changing so much, it’s hard to keep up, don’t you find? I still barely know how to use my cell phone. BlackBerry? iPod, texting… Good Lord! :-)
Hi Chania Girl
Thanks — I’m glad you’re enjoying this. There is some good fun in store for the next few weeks… and I think more of the same will be showing up in the future. :)
Hi Patricia.
Wow, that’s a lot of sleep! I hope you’re feeling better and well rested. You must have needed it. I’ve heard that you burn more calories sleeping than watching TV… wonder if there’s any truth to that. Maybe it’s better NOT to know :-)
Hi Sara.
Glad you enjoyed this post. I loved what Deb came up with. Creativity rocks!
Thank you all so much for your warm welcome and fantastic comments. Davina, you have a lovely community here.
I may just have to do a follow up in a couple of months with more muses who come to mind!
.-= Deb Dorchak´s last blog ..Sirus Sunday: This Post is Approved by Rose =-.
Hi Davina and Deb,
I like Techa. How can we not have a muse in this day and age to cover technology. And apparently she’s been busy with all the changes we see on almost a daily basis.
.-= Barbara Swafford´s last blog ..The Eleven Word Challenge =-.
Thanks Deb,
for your contribution to the Muse in May series. I loved what you came up with — Hestia needs some taming at my place these days. Maybe Feducia can help out with that. Yes… come back any time. I believe more of the Muse will be showing up in months to come.
Hi Barbara.
That’s for sure! I can hardly keep up. Techa needs a Twitter account :-)
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