Finding Your Muse (Its not always easy)

The Bead Circle is having a little challenge called The Muses of Beading. You can read more here:
Muses of Beading Challenge

I was inspired by this challenge and have decided to give it a try. I've never participated in a beading challenge before so this should be fun. Here's hoping I can actually come up with something and complete the project before the deadline next month.

The first step was to indentify with a muse. While each muse has played a central role in my life, artistic or 0therwise, over the years, I had trouble deciding who seemed most influential to me the majority of the time. So I did what any good web-junky would do. I Googled for Muses quizzes!

I took a couple and kept getting the same results for the most part. Seems that Polyhymnia, the muse of hymns and sacred poetry, is the most influential. According to one quiz, she is my influence 75% of the time. I can see it. I'm quiet and contemplative much of the time. I really think things through, I'm a born planner. Okay, sometimes, I overthink and overplan, but that's part of my charm. And according to the Bead Circle, as a muse of beading, she wears a simple pendant necklace. That's me. My jewelry, both that I make and that I wear, is most often simple and subtle.

Clio, the muse of history, also came up on two quizzes. For one, she was the most influential, and the quiz actually suggested I try archaeology due to my love of history. I laughed, as this was my major in college and I work for an archaeological consulting company. I'm a big believer in the importance of studying our history. We need to learn from our mistakes in order to move on and better ourselves in the future. As a muse of beading she wears vintage components. I love that.

Urania also came up as quite influential, though she's not the most influential (she was tied for second with Clio, after Polyhymnia). She is the muse of astronomy and science so that makes sense. I'm a logical person much of the time, even when I'm being creative. I have a love of the stars and planets, though I prefer to just enjoy their beauty rather than study them. As a muse of beading she wears a necklace that incorporates many beading stitches all worked together (I assume in a logical pattern).

So now what? Well, I've been brainstorming on some project ideas that would either be worn by the muses, or would pay homage to them and be something they would be honored to have inspired. Oddly enough, I have plenty of ideas for Clio, a number for Urania, but not much for Polyhymnia. Maybe I'll just have to invoke her for some divine inspiration. I may end up making something for all three, or maybe I'll do something to incorporate all three into one piece. I'm not sure.

Over the next couple of days I'll post some of my brainstorming and the ideas that have come out of it. It will help me to organize my thoughts and will likely create even more ideas. Maybe you'll have some ideas to add to mine. Maybe you'll find your muse and want to join the challenge too.