Monday Musings...Muses...

“O! for a muse of fire, that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention.”

William Shakespeare

As I wander through the familiar paths and the uncharted territories of our little blogworld, I am often struck with the amazing breadth of thought and perspective, humor and philosophy that pervades our virtual pages. Hearing the written voice of my fellow blog writers, seeing the images that paper their vision, I bask in the collected shine of the creative and the clever, the poignant and powerful.
I find myself asking the question: Where do all these talented people find their muse?

What thoughts flicker across their minds, contracting and expanding into idea, word, paragraph and post? And what inspires me?

When I occasionally find myself pondering tomorrow's post, when I try to determine what I might have to say that would bless you, make you laugh, make you think, I suppose that I am finding some paths of meditation that take me from the blank box of an empty post to the publish button.

My first muse is obviously my family life. I live with nine other people and two really slow dogs who fill my days with hilarity and challenge, duties and laughs. Their stories, the things they say, the way they view our family life, all make for some crazy quilting when it comes to piecing posts. And it's the stories of your families' lives that also inspire me, the histories you share, the way you tell your tales, that make for such joy in the reading.

As a photographer, it is often the pictures from my life that make me ponder deeper, marveling at the story an image can tell. I love the way that you often see the story captured in those images as well and the encouragement you send my way on my camera clicking. Your pictures give me such insight and inspiration to your stories, whether it's of three little peaches sitting in the driveway or the contents of your refrigerator each Wednesday. Your images inspire me to look at my own vistas a little differently, from a little different angle.

And then there are the things that make me laugh, the comedy I crave sharing with you. When 6 of 8 comes up with one of her amazing one-liners, I can't wait to run to the keyboard and share it with you. When a therapy session has brought some levity in the middle of challenge, I often think of how I want to tell you about it. If there is a way I can share a laugh with you, the way you share your laughs with me, I count it a muse.

And that other source I count as writing muse, the post that I think most on all week, the post that shares the deepest parts of my heart and walk, is the walk of faith that I am faltering and tripping and feeling my way along recorded in the Sunday Selah. And when you share your heart with me and tell me how you have been to the same places, that you know the landmarks, it inspires me to share again the next week and to write and rewrite and think through.

I must count you, my precious blog friends as another source of muse, because I see the thread of your friendships and writings as the connecting piece for what I have to say and what I choose to post. And you make for a handsome group of muses indeed.

Where do you find your inspiration for your blogging? Is it a story you are compelled to tell, a cause you feel you must uphold? Do you have a guiding principal that is central to your blog experience or is everyday simply a fresh invention in the journaling of your life? Share your muse here in the comment box or write your own post on this topic and place the url of that post and your name in the Mister Linky's box below. Give us a little insight into your muse!