Who’s your muse? Where do you get your inspiration?

In Greek Mythology, we get inspiration from nine goddesses of inspiration. These are the muses.

Each muse specializes in a different artistic or scientific area. Terpsikhore, for example, inspires us to dance. She’s where we get the word terpsichorean.

Erato inspires literature, science, and the arts. Kalliope was Homer’s muse, because she inspires epic poetry. The other 6 muses each inspire us in different ways.

But we get inspiration from more than the 9 muses. Look all around you. You can feel inspired by so many different people, places, and things.

Take the each of the 32 people on the Women Who Dared blocks. We see women throughout history building on the work of those who came before. We can feel inspired by their words and deeds. They serve as real-life muses. 

We can feel inspired by nature. We see the beauty in insects, birds, flowers, fish, fossils, planets, stars, and more. The wonders of nature are all around us. We have only to take a walk and breath fresh air to feel inspired.

Sounds inspire us, too. We like the fun sounds animals make. We enjoy playing music. And we love listening to many different musical styles and genres.

We’re also inspired by the things other people create. When we look at the works of others with appreciation, we can develop compassion and empathy. Books, movies, buildings -- we draw inspiration from all these things. 

Inspiration can come from anywhere. It doesn't have to come from one place. 

It's important to create something wonderful or beautiful. The work you create today may inspire someone in the future to build on your work. 

The nine muses are a great place to start, but we can explore so much more. Where else do you find inspiration?