Liesl Garner

The Venus de Milo fits nicely on my Shoulder



Posted: Tuesday, January 24, 2012

by Liesl Garner

The Venus de Milo

Tonight I was caught up in musings about my actual Muse. What does she look like? What are her characteristics? Of course, I am drawn to the idea of an actual Greek Goddess as my muse. But I also believe that my inspiration is a melding of a multitude of strong, glorious women from down through the ages.

Part of me feels like I put pen to paper and cannot always take the credit for what comes next - so powerful is my muse at times: speaking from a variety of perspectives. Some days I hear whisperings from the strong, silent, planted firmly in the seat she felt should be hers, Rosa Parks. I have written from beneath the pulpit where Sojourner Truth spoke her truth and made the room quake with thunderous applause.

Other times, the words I hear are much more in line with a Lucille Ball getting herself in trouble for something ridiculous. The mother side of me wants to believe I hear words of wisdom from Ma Walton, or the mom from Little House on the Prairie.

At times, I am on the plain with adventurous women, who rode off into the sunset alone after great quests. I hear them. I hear their accents and their tones of voice. There are days I am vibrant and alive, pounding my fist and speaking my soul on paper. Sometimes I hear soft hums of fairy women over blades of grass too beautiful for words.

There are so many sides to my muse. She is beautiful and angry sometimes. She is soft and reassuring at others. I take from different styles and blend into my own voice. I read last night an amazing line from Gail Sher... actually a title for one of her essays reads, "Art is Theft, Art is Armed Robbery, Art is Not Pleasing Your Mother." She opens with a quote from T.S. Eliot, "A minor poet borrows, a great poet steals." And this doesn't mean plagiary by any means. It means that anything I've ever read or heard or dreamt or sung has become part of my lexicon, part of my inspiration. It all gets tossed around inside my head, and becomes the whisperings of my muse, perched on my shoulder, hand cupped to her mouth, ardently telling me things I need to contemplate and translate and formulate into my own thoughts and ramblings. Sometimes it is borrowed like a line from Prufrock: Do I dare to eat a Peach? Sometimes, when it has become truly mine, it comes out as my own words, so fully have I incorporated those precious words into my heart.

What does your muse look like? Who are your inspirations?

Photo from here.?
Liesl Garner has many articles on Wryte Stuff from back in the day when she wrote about Beauty from unusual perspectives. Today, she is a working mom who is starting a ridiculous gardening project. She writes about that at Green Acres-ISH.

She also writes to be writing, because writing is what she does for balance. Those articles can be found at Impulse to Write.

Liesl has been out of touch with the writing community for a little over a year - and looking forward to reconnecting with the fantastic writers here!!

When not working, she chases a husband and 4 boys around, trying to keep up with their art and their antics.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)
» left by Dawn Novotny
 105 days 20 hours ago.
18 fans.
Wow Liesl!! What a beautiful article.

I see that I can learn a lot from you about writing which is a new and exciting "hobby" for me.

It's funny that I have self-published a memoir but have never considered myself a writer because writing is such a laborious task for me. So, thinking about having a muse that lives inside of me who can borrow or steal, "because everything I've ever read or heard or dreamt or sung has become part of my lexicon, part of my inspiration" brings hope to my heart and tears to my eyes.

Thank you and I just became a fan.

Kind Regards, dawn

» left by Liesl Garner 105 days 19 hours ago.
11 fans. Follow Liesl Garner on twitter!
Dawn - Thank you! The feeling is mutual. I just became a fan of yours as well after reading one of your fantastic articles this morning.

Thanks so much for your comment!!

I love mutual inspiration and admiration. It is what makes my day!!

Liesl
» left by Dawn Novotny
 105 days 8 hours ago.
18 fans.
Back at you with five smiley faces. Dawn
» left by Liesl Garner 103 days 6 hours ago.
11 fans. Follow Liesl Garner on twitter!
You Last Word Girl! Happy to be getting to know you!
» left by Dunnea Rae
 104 days 18 hours ago.
9 fans.
Great article! Yesterday, my partner recounted to me how his friend was upset because his wife was in a mood, thus making their whole family out of sorts. I told him that every woman has a Medusa who shows herself from time to time. My Medusa rooms with my Baba Yaga! When I received my name in a meditation years ago, I wasn't given a middle name, so I chose one myself - Artemis - the goddess of the moon who walks the woods and is protective of women, especially mothers, and has an affinity for all animals. My loudest Muse is Persephone, because she moves from the dark to the light and back again. She always feels fearless, to me.
» left by Liesl Garner 103 days 6 hours ago.
11 fans. Follow Liesl Garner on twitter!
Wow - you know your Goddesses! That is awesome. This year, I'm planning on taking one of the Great Courses on Greek and Roman Mythology so I can learn more about all those great gods and goddesses. Trying to learn Astronomy without an understanding of the ancient myths seems a bit futile!

Thanks for your comment. I love the detail you have in your muses!
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