Don't Wait for Your Muse (Using Sources)
               In the same way that artists collect reference photos, fashion designers collect fabrics and textures, and interior designers collect paint chips, writers must collect sources. A source could be:
Evocative, funny, or interesting dialogue
A description youâve never heard before
Interesting and rare words
A paragraph from a book you love
A specific feeling or experience
Something you saw out in the real world
A snippet of conversation you passed by on the street
A smell that gives you a particular memory
Any other piece of art, writing, music, design, a sense, story, etc. etc.
Essentially, anything that sparks your imagination, thatâs evocative of the human experienceâof that humanity and closeness weâre always trying to capture. My creative writing prof said to us, âwhy are you waiting for a âmuseâ? Go to your sources. Donât just wait for inspiration to strike.â
               She cautioned us not to try to make sense when we put together our sources, but rather make meaning. The nice, easy part is that anything you put together will create meaning. So hereâs what we gathered to get started, but I also challenge you to carry a journal or a place on your phone to start collecting things you find out in the world.
               Choose a one-word or sentence theme that describes your project. For this theme, collect:
A photo, taken by anyone at any time
A poem, written by anyone
A paragraph from a newspaper or magazine article, then scramble it using the âcut up machineâ
A screenshot of something posted on social media
A series of text messages, emails, or other communication between parties
A screenshot of the abstract of a scholarly article
Good luck, and if youâre comfortable, Iâd love to see your collections!
blakekathryn
stormborns
vaporwave
titsay
kaledo-art
