“La uva,” he whispered, “está hecha de vino.” Marcela Pérez-Silva told me this, and I thought: If the grape is made of wine, then perhaps we are the words that tell who we are. –Eduardo Galeano; The Book of Embraces
A good place to start writing, either working on your own or with a group, is to write about yourself, including special events, places, and people you’ve encountered along the way. This kind of writing comes in a variety of forms and labels such as personal profile, autobiography, memoir, diary, or journal. But first let’s explore what gets your juices flowing: the muse.
1.1 Thought Question
So much of our creative work grows from what we find to be fun, interesting, or important. This special inspiration is sometimes called a “muse.” How about you? Frida Kahlo said, “I am my own muse, the subject I know best.” Here are others: fire (Shakespeare), libraries (Barbara Tuchman), a walk (Judy Collins). Often, we end up writing about what we find ourselves TALKING about: movies, sports, politics, travel, restaurants, books, etc.
TRY THIS OUT: Read over Miranda’s “My Music Muse” below, then jot down one or more of your own muses in your notebook (paper or digital), describing and explaining as Miranda has done or like the suggested list below her short essay. Later you will share your ideas with classmates.
MY MUSICMUSE
Miranda Hoggan, Fall Semester, 2017
A muse is something that is inspirational and motivational to each specific person. Everyone has something that makes them tick or pushes them to the future. I have found that music is such a global, yet personal medium; it has different meanings to different people and can change the mood of a room in an instant. I have grown up with music in my life and in my family, being a pianist myself. I’m anything but eccentric; yet, music has a way of sneaking into everything that I do. I read with music, I cook with music, and I love movie soundtracks! You could say music is my muse because it’s all around me and it has impacted me. I wish my life had a soundtrack, but even without, my head hums all day with sounds and songs. I can’t imagine a world without music and noise; it creates the atmosphere of life and sets the world up for the future! It influences, it inspires, it moves, and is a connection between all beings.
Brainstorm one or more muses, along with a brief explanation about how they work for you:
CHAPTER 1: YOUR PERSONAL MUSE
“La uva,” he whispered, “está hecha de vino.” Marcela Pérez-Silva told me this, and I thought: If the grape is made of wine, then perhaps we are the words that tell who we are. –Eduardo Galeano; The Book of Embraces
A good place to start writing, either working on your own or with a group, is to write about yourself, including special events, places, and people you’ve encountered along the way. This kind of writing comes in a variety of forms and labels such as personal profile, autobiography, memoir, diary, or journal. But first let’s explore what gets your juices flowing: the muse.
1.1 Thought Question
So much of our creative work grows from what we find to be fun, interesting, or important. This special inspiration is sometimes called a “muse.” How about you? Frida Kahlo said, “I am my own muse, the subject I know best.” Here are others: fire (Shakespeare), libraries (Barbara Tuchman), a walk (Judy Collins). Often, we end up writing about what we find ourselves TALKING about: movies, sports, politics, travel, restaurants, books, etc.
TRY THIS OUT: Read over Miranda’s “My Music Muse” below, then jot down one or more of your own muses in your notebook (paper or digital), describing and explaining as Miranda has done or like the suggested list below her short essay. Later you will share your ideas with classmates.
MY MUSIC MUSE
Miranda Hoggan, Fall Semester, 2017
A muse is something that is inspirational and motivational to each specific person. Everyone has something that makes them tick or pushes them to the future. I have found that music is such a global, yet personal medium; it has different meanings to different people and can change the mood of a room in an instant. I have grown up with music in my life and in my family, being a pianist myself. I’m anything but eccentric; yet, music has a way of sneaking into everything that I do. I read with music, I cook with music, and I love movie soundtracks! You could say music is my muse because it’s all around me and it has impacted me. I wish my life had a soundtrack, but even without, my head hums all day with sounds and songs. I can’t imagine a world without music and noise; it creates the atmosphere of life and sets the world up for the future! It influences, it inspires, it moves, and is a connection between all beings.