Muse originally referred to one of nine Greek goddesses who presided over literature and the arts and sciences. Over time, the term has come to mean a poetic inspiration, or a poet who inspires. The verb to muse means to ponder or think deeply. To become a muse is to devote your life to deep thought and the more sublime aspects of existence.
Instructions
1. Recognize that musing actually requires thought and not simply the passive absorption of knowledge or data. It is possible to sail through every level of a quiz show, win a million dollars demonstrating your broadly-based knowledge and still not be a muse.
2. Study the lives and thoughts of humanity's great muses such as Plato, Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius, Newton, Einstein, Beethoven, Shakespeare, and Thomas Jefferson.
3. Trace the way humanity's understanding of the laws of nature have influenced the direction taken by various muses at various times. For example, Aristotle's conclusions about the interaction of mankind and the natural world were profoundly different from Einstein's, in part because Einstein had access to the work of Newton.
4. Explore the definition of muse as one who inspires. Study the works of artists, such as Lord Byron and the other epic poets.
5. Find a point of embarkation to your own musing by defining what area of literature, art or science most fascinates you and devote yourself to that area. Trust your own thoughts on these subjects, even if they do not conform to accepted dogma.
6. Write, create verse, paint, sculpt, compose music or hypothesize based upon your musing.
7. Share your musing with others.
Tags: your musing