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As one of the stops on the Fins, Wings, and Other Things blog tour, I am honored to have Melissa Stewart, author of the new A Place for Fish, here at the blog to talk about her muse for writing. Check out this AMAZING statue:
When writers talk about their “muse,” most are speaking figuratively. They are referring to a mysterious form of inspiration that occasionally strikes out of the blue. But when I talk about my muse, I’m referring to something physical, literal, and, yes, deeply inspirational.
I visit my muse each Earth Day and any time I’m feeling creatively drained. Her name is Venusvine and she resides at the
The photo here doesn’t do the 16-foot-tall cast bronze sculpture justice. She is so much more beautiful in person. Even up close, she appears to be a forest nymph with branches for limbs and roots for hair. The first time I saw her, I thought she was made of organic materials. I didn’t realize she was bronzed until I read her plaque.
I have photos of Venusvine on the wall of my office. Sometimes I point them out to students during Skype visits. But sometimes I don’t. On those days, I need to keep her for myself.
Does Venusvine really give me creative energy? Who knows. But I still like having her around. Staring at her sometimes helps me focus my thoughts as I write books about the natural world. And she always reminds me of why I do what I do. If something I write in a book or say during a school visit inspires a child to take a closer look at a rock or chase after a butterfly just to see where it’s going, then my job is done.
Do all authors have a specific muse they look to when needing creative energy? I think that would be a pretty cool interview question to ask.
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