CREATIVITY: MEETING THE MUSE
I have met the muse. For me, the muse presented itself in the form of a house wren, but that’s a story for another time. The word muse comes from Greek and Roman mythology; the muses were nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne who presided over the arts and sciences. The definition of muse is a person or a force who is a source of inspiration. It hits when you least expect it but you must be in a creative state of mind. Einstein said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”
During Covid, my daughters and I read through the book, The Artist’s Way by Juilia Cameron. It helped us unlock the door to creativity. In the first chapters she talks about shame. Are we ashamed of our gifts? Do we think we are not good enough to engage in creative pursuits? Henry Matisse once said, “Creativity takes courage.” It takes courage and vulnerability to step out and try your wings.
I’ve always been the creative type. But becoming an author was something new. What freed me was the realization that God gives each human something that makes them unique. We are not meant to be cookie-cutter humans. We are made uniquely in the image of God and God is creative.
How do we free ourselves of the binds that keep us from expressing our creativity? Be willing to be yourself. Give in to being who God made you. If you are sensitive, be sensitive, if you cry easily, go ahead and cry. I remember my Dad saying once that he didn’t join a choir as an adult because he would become overwhelmed with emotion and didn’t want to let people see him tear up during a song. His sensitivity was one of the characteristics that I loved the most about him. He felt things so deeply. I thought, how sad that he was missing out on an experience that would have brought him expression and community because he was afraid of being judged for his sensitivity. Let it go. Let the fear of judgement go. You are who you are. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Express your unique gift and find your niche. Your brand of creativity won’t appeal to everyone; it doesn’t have to. You will find your way in your own little corner of the world. Yes, we should hone our craft and be open to positive, helpful feedback, but not negative crippling criticism.
I grew up with a mom that loved everything I did. When I graduated from high school, I boxed up all my awards, but she took the awards out and lined the up on the shelf in my old bedroom. That’s what moms do. She thought everything I did, acting, singing, writing, teaching was wonderful. She was so liberal with her praise that I began to doubt that I really was any good. Surely Mom was exaggerating because, well, after all she was my mom! She had to love everything I did. Perhaps too much praise can lead to self-doubt and too little can be crippling, but you will never know until you take that first step into creativity.
Whatever creativity is for you: painting, dancing, singing, acting, writing, decorating, playing an instrument, sewing, or photography, playing a good chess game, building a rocket, gardening, or solving a math problem, find out what your creative expression is, and as Matisse and Einstein said, take courage and have fun!
Published 2/20/26 in The Facts Brazosliving
