The Care and Feeding of the Muse

The Care and Feeding of the Muse

How do you care and feed your muse? Better yet, when your muse needs pampering, what do you do? How do you unsilence your muse? What do those silences tell you?

For the most part, to get to a sense of serenity and creativity our muse needs to be well fed and well supported. We need to be able to turn inward and connect with our emotions so our creative lives can be expressive, authentic, and genuine. Our art is profoundly affected by the mood of our muse and what the muse needs to be in that place of serenity where creativity can flourish. So how do we get there?

Well first of all, a silent muse is the sign that something is not right in our world. That there is too much stress, too much negative energy, too much wearing us down, too much mind chatter and not enough lifting us up. At times we may just need some extra sleep, a relaxing evening with a caring loved one, a night out with our friends, or some time alone. Sometimes our muse is calling out for physical activity and we need to go on a series of walks, take a hike, go on a bike ride, go swimming, or join a Zumba class.
But, there are other times when wine and chocolate won’t do the trick and these are the most trying times. These are the times when we need to do something more drastic and creative to get the muse going. This is we feel we are dry and empty and need to fill up. This is when we have to break free of our editor and monitor and just get back to our craft—be it writing, singing, composing, conducting, sculpting, painting, or imagining. This is when we need to get a reality check and imagine the possibilities and create without a monitor, create for the sake of creating and honoring that within us that needs a place for self-expression. This is when we need to reach for our morning pages and write what is eating us, what is blocking us, what is keeping our muse silent and trapped. Or this is when we need a trip to the Bahamas!!!

May your muse be cared for, today and everyday!!!

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Humming...Singing...Dancing

Keeping your muse humming and singing and dancing like no one is watching.

When our muse is in a happy place, it opens a new window of opportunity for us by offering valuable insight, articulate advice and expert examples. Our muse can be a reference, a road map and a romp, all rolled into one. When our muse is on it, we can find our way through all sorts of mazes that we encounter. A happy muse helps to make our quests for creative development much easier and much happier. We are truly in a place of peace, when our muse is singing, humming, and dancing like no one is looking.

And how do we get there? With a discipline, focus, and dedication to our creative self that feeds our creativity and keeps our muse singing and humming in tune with your projects and creative works. We have to create a life that includes our craft at every turn of the spectrum, we have to create a life that allows us to be happily engaged in what we do and how we do it, we have to create a life that allows us to discover our talents and find our voice through our art allowing us to create something substantial, inspirational, and personally gratifying. It is what uniquely motivates us to complete a project.

What keeps your muse humming and singing and dancing like no one is watching? What fuels your creative endeavors?

ME, I took a trip to the Bahamas to pamper my muse and deflect burn out!!!


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Zulmara

Live in the Sunshine, Swim in the Sea, and Drink in the Wild Air

Live in the Sunshine, Swim in the Sea, and Drink in the Wild Air…Bahamas…

Pampering Your Muse-on Island Time

Having just returned from the Bahamas with this magnet a few weeks ago,

I was reflecting on why this particular quote resonated with me while I was down there and I knew right away it was because the Bahamas have a way of invigorating the soul and infusing the spirit with love, warmth, and motivation. I know it must be the joy of being able to live in the sunshine that make the Bahamians such a fun loving, kind and caring people. All that Vitamin D being soaked up in the skin make for a wonderful disposition on life and living. I was struck by the friendliness of everyone we met and by the love and good wished being showered on us.

That's my daughter!!! Love her!!!

The next explanation must be the swimming in the sea. The clear blue/green two tone waters are beautiful. Even in the coldest month of January, the waters were warm on the toes and tantalizing on the feet. We walked about 2 miles down the beach and even with an errant wave, we had a great time splashing the in the surf and just loving life.

And I cannot forget drinking in the wild air. Out there on mountain time you are truly in a world of your own and you are truly having the time of your life. You can get drunk on so much clean air when you come from LA and the it is invigorating.

I am thinking everyone should live on island at least once in their lives…just for the sunshine, sea, and air that are just a part of the everyday living experience. (Of course I don’t think I would be very productive, but my muse would certainly be very happy).

Yes, this quote did resonate with me for it captured all of the wonders of island life and living.

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Zulmara

PS...My Island Birthday Cake...Chocolate Rum Cake...yummers!!!

Live by the Sun, Love by the Moon

Live by the Sun, Love by the Moon

Pampering your muse--with Island Time

When you are leading a creative life, guided by your inner muse, there are times you need to pamper your muse to rejuvenate your creative spirit, and inspire your wandering soul.

Recently, I was in the Bahamas to celebrate my 52nd birthday and it was the perfect time to pampering my muse the Bahamian way. The Bahamanians know how to live by the sun and lover thy the moon. They live life to the fullest when the sun is shining. Island time is living by the sun and loving by the moon time. A sunrise means a new day is born, but there is no hurry to speed up time. The morning unfolds slowly with the sun rising slowly and daylight breaking in its own time. Breakfast in the morning is a slow affair, living by the sun means you are in no hurry because the sun comes and goes everyday. The Bahamians are not in a hurry to get things done, be somewhere, or completer a task, or finish a to do list. Life is slow and the pace is reflective and contemplative. There is always time for a greeting, a smiles, a dance, and a song.

Loving by the moon means life if for loving—a moon-rise is synonymous with a smile, a laugh, a greeting, and a shared friendship, even with strangers. The Bahamians are an extremely happy and friendly people they are always ready with a smile and a greeting as they meander around the island, eager to help and please. They tell jokes, laugh with you and make you feel welcome.

Yes, anyone who visits will tell you that island time is magical time. It is like time stands still on the island it is living by the sun and loving by the moon…it is what pampering your muse is all about.

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Zulmara

Sugar Yourself with Sand

Sugar Yourself with Sand

Pampering your Muse with Island Time

Going to the Bahamas as a way to pamper my muse, renew my spirit, and nourish my soul has been so invigorating and inspiring. Island time is reflective time. In the Bahamas, no one beginnings the day before 10:00 am and they it by around 5:00 pm only to come out and play again around 7:00 in the evening.

The people are super friendly. The food is unique, but familiar enough to enrich the body. The tropical drinks: Mojitos, Bahama Mamas, and Miami Vice are cool, refreshing with a nice tropical twist.

Sugaring yourself with sand is a perfect way to describe a vacation in the Bahamas. You are surrounding yourself with warmth, hospitality, good food, nice weather, and sticky sand. The Sticky sand gives you the feeling that you are being enveloped in a warmth of island hospitality and island fun and charm. You feel like you are a part of something real, something bigger than life, something extraordinary, something that will pamper your muse and help you get invigorated and inspired.

Bahamian time is island time at its best!!

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 Seguimos adelante,

 Zulmara