The Purpose of This Blog

This blog is meant to share pieces of fiction that I have written.  It gives me a quiet space to listen, to hear her soft words.

I’ve joked in the past that my cat, Terpsichore, named for the Greek Muse of Dance, is my muse. If that were true, this would undoubtedly be titled “My Muse Bites Often” instead. The fact is that my Muse, that inner creativity that draws me to write, is much too easy to ignore. She whispers softly, often seductively, insinuating ideas into my head. Since becoming a mother, it’s all too easy to ignore her gentle gifts. I have lost my ability to recognize her, unless there is something heavy on my mind which only she can help me resolve.

My children are older, now. My daughter is nine and my son is three. They entertain themselves and each other more often these days without needing my direct guidance or interference. I have begun to feel the hushed pull of My Muse again. She and I tried making jewelry with beads and stones and wire. It was enjoyable, but it did not give voice to the feelings that the Muse and I needed to express. We tried things like crocheting, and even painting. Neither was adequate to the task. And so I began to once more explore the world of writing, with my Muse insistently dropping words and ideas into my lap, if I were just quiet enough to hear them.

She used to speak much louder, or I was much better at listening, back in the days before marriage and children. There was always some new idea spawning from my body then. I wrote. I made collages. I painted and drew. I used Sculpey to make statues and beads. I danced. Oh, how I danced. My Muse loves the rhythm and movement of dance. It translates well into words.

It will take me time to re-learn how to listen to my Muse. Her shy whispers take practice to hear. By sitting down here to write, I am giving her my attention and focus, and allowing her the peace she needs to be heard. My Muse speaks softly. I must learn to listen again.