Many creative people say they have been inspired by an individual whom they refer to as their muse. A muse is someone who directly or indirectly influences that person's creative work. Historically men were influenced by the women they loved and passionately made them the subject of their life's greatest work.

The concept of the Muse originated in Greek mythology. The Greek gods Zeus and Mnemosyne had nine daughters called the Nine Muses. The daughters each represented one aspect of the whole creative spirit. This collection of personified attributes included writers, orators, artists, singers, dancers, comedians, historians, actors, and healers. Each of those aspects is present in our consciousness but usually deeply stored to the point where brilliant sparks of inspiration are  few and far between. When we summons one or more attributes to the surface of our mind, it is like welcoming the spirit and expertise of that characteristic to come alive in our work. But often, the spark doesn't arrive, and work remains mediocre and un-inspired.

Seldom is just asking for inspiration enough to actually access the jewels of creative thought. There is a path that leads to the subconscious castle of unlimited creativity. It cannot be described, mapped, or even revisited. The path remains a mystery even to its traveler. This is why brilliance evades many an artist or writer. Wanting something too much narrows our focus. Neglecting to honor the ancient code dooms us to unfinished projecst and deep personal frustration. A Muse serves as a guide through the locked gates of brilliant creation that often keep us from our destiny.

A Muse uses no logic, reason, or process. She/He feels the Way, as if blindfolded, sensing the pull of cosmic energy and resonance that pulls the longing traveler through the maze of conscious thought into the vast caverns of creation. There is no rhyme or reason to the path a Muse takes to connect the traveler to his or her destination. It just happens, and a Muse never questions the unfolding process. Nor should the traveler.

Often the Muse is an energetic spaciousness in the mind that opens up and allows thought to move in unlimited ways, thereby revealing new neural pathways and sensory information that inspires new creative work. This is our inner muse at work. With no external prompting or guidance we find our own magical path and arrive at the gate. We all hope for our own Muse to arrive each time we feel the call to create something. Supreme angst is when we feel the call and can't find the path.

In working with a Muse of the human kind or the mental kind, the art takes on characteristics of extreme originality and brilliance. The gifts are profound. But those gifts come with a caveat – though you find your way to that inner sanctum of creativity, you may never find your way back again. This is why so many authors write sequels and serial additions to their original brilliant work. This is why copy-cat repetition of a performance or a dance or a piece of music is the continuation of that artist's career. It is because the Muse may have visited once, but never returned.