My creativity advent calendar 2024: Day 11.
People are joining in …
The recent post in this series about how some people struggle to call themselves creative while others are very happy to say they are artists sparked a few interesting comments.
One was about the idea of “muses” who, according to the Ancient Greeks, are seen as bestowing a divine and powerful gift from the Gods that compels some people to create.
Does being inspired (is “mused” a verb?) mean that the work of creating is easier? We’ve all heard stories of artists who have lost their muse and fallen into despair but what if you’ve never had one? Does that make you less of an artist or more talented because the work is all your own?
The very funny and talented Andrea Constable compared this to the Aeolian harp idea - that “it captures that spark of needing to write or make, and allows for a massive fib: that no actual work takes place.”
The aeolian harp is one of the few instruments that is played without anyone touching it. It just needs to be in the right position where the wind can make the strings vibrate.
However, a human needs to construct it and tune the strings so that the “accidental” sound the wind creates is harmonious.
Do you feel compelled or inspired to create? Do you recognise the notion of a muse or are you naturally talented with a big dose of hard work and practice?
I’m definitely muse-less and I’d probably get annoyed by any aeolian harp in my vicinity and want to turn it off so I think I’ll send a hat tip to the Ancient Greeks (they’re good for a lot of other ideas) and say thanks but no thanks to this idea of no-effort creativity.
