Reflections on Pampering your Muse

Reflections on Pampering your Muse

Congas(c)

For me, the act of pampering your muse is the act of self love, self care, and self guidance. When we are pampering our muses, it means we are taking time to take care of ourselves and giving ourselves a much needed break. It may mean we have to slow down at work, say not to over-scheduling our children with one more play-date, or take time to go for a stroll with the family and let the dishes sit for a night.
It may mean curling up with a good book once a month, going to get a cup of coffee with a magazine once a week, or writing in a journal 10 minutes a day.

Saxxy Soul (c)

Caring for yourself will look different for each individual and during different times in your life, and we need to be aware of that. We know when our muse needs pampering when we are cranky, irritable, easily aggravated, and readily annoyed. We know we need “muse” time when we lack energy for life, when we are ready to throw in the towel, or spend hours in front of the TV and do not enjoy the shows we are watching. We know our muse needs pampering when life lacks joy, laughter, music, song, and dance. When the little things no longer bring a smile to our lips and hope to our hearts, it is time to pamper your muse and do whatever it takes to bring back that feeling that life is too short and we must live it gusto.

Poema Lirico (c)

Paulo Coelho said, “Life can be too short or too long, depending on how we are living it.” And he is so right. If we are feeling that life is too long, we need to get out and get an ice cream cone, blow bubbles with the grandkids, take a walk on beach, or visit an old friend. We need to do whatever lifts us up and brings us joy and makes us feel like life is for cherishing the little moments.
Here is to your muse, may she be happy, fulfilled, and ready to take on the challenges that life has to offer.
Con un pan y cafecito,
Seguimos adelante
Zulmara Maria
 
Breath in strong energy with sparks of light!!

Respiren la buena energía con chispas de luz..!

*Artowrk for this blog was graciously provided by Mia Ramon an artist on Art by Latina Artists

Pampering Foods

Pampering Foods

Spiritual Healer (c)

What foods feeds your muse and help to keep you going?

For me, it is chocolate…chocolate and more chocolate…ice cream, truffles, See's Candy…if it is chocolate, my muse is happy…

I also love fruits and nuts --so nice to live in SoCal and have access to so many fruits for so much of the year…I love kiwi, watermelon, melons, strawberries, plums, peaches. Etx…I have never met a fruit I did not love…Also, love nuts…walnuts, cashews, almonds….are my favs...



Sophia I

Bread and cheese are my staples…to balance the sugar high…lol…I love a good bread and have made friends with almost all cheeses available…looovvveee pan con queso...

My sinful food is pizza…uuumm, uuuummm, good. Love pizza with chicken especially…BBQ, garlic, and grilled. I also love veggies on my pizza and a personal favorite from my pregnancy days --mushroom/olive pizza.

What is your favorite pampering food? What is your pick me up snack? What feeds your muse

Water…Can't Create without Quenching your Thirst

Water, water, water, water…I find that without water, I have no stamina to keep going. I keep a water bottle on my desk--always--and I drink ice tea, vitamin water, Slenderize, and Gatorade.

I stay away from Soda…but I will do diet coke when the mood strikes me and I stay away from juices…seem to heavy for most writing days.

Hermana Series (c)

Wine I reserve for those times when I am done with the creative process and ready to chilax with my family, my hubby, my FB friends and other special peeps…in my life.

What do you drink when you are writing…What is your special treat? Are you addicted to coffee…tea…wine??

Con un pan y cafecito, seguimos adelante…

Zulmara Maria

Más vale prevenir que tener que lamentar

Better safe than sorry

*Artowrk for this blog was graciously provided by Mia Ramon an artist on Art by Latina Artists

Music and the Muse

Music and the Muse

Music Ecstasy(c)

Music is one of the ways I pamper my inner muse. It is so inspiring to me to listen to some of my favorite artists to set the mood, the tone, the pace of my creativity.

I like melodic music that quiets the mind, when I need to think, figure things out, and rein myself in. When I am in the zone of my inner diva, I love Brazilian Samba….to set a beat, a tone, a pace that is fast, fun, eventful , and filled with happiness. This is for brain storming and setting my vibration. Sometimes, my muse and I just need to get up and dance.

Some of my favs for just getting in the zone and staying in the zone include:

• In Dis Life by IZ…mellow and non-distracting... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I
• Reyli for those soft, sadder love songs that bring back memories and put you in the mood of writing that sadder, deeper feeling… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUinZg5MC5U
• Samba…especially by the Samba schools for those upbeat writing moments
• Celine Dion…anything by Celine sets a tone and a mood that gets me in the zone.

In Dis Life by IZ these beautifully, melodic songs from Hawaii have a very mellow and non-distracting sound. Played mostly on a ukele and sung in a melodic tone, IZ sets a mood that is both reflective and contemplative. I now own 3 of his CD's, one for each trip to Hawaii. YES!!! he is a gem, just take a listen.

Music Heals the World (c)

Reyli is my favorite for those soft, sadder love songs that bring back memories and put you in a reflective of trying to figure out who you are and what you want out of life. He helps you know that life is for feeling, even when the feelings are deep and emotional. He sings in Spanish and Spanish love songs are especially moving to me and get to a place in my soul that is deep and profound.

When I want a female voice, I love Gloria Estefan's Spanish love songs. She sings with a profound, deep sense of love and longing that are perfect for setting the mood for love and heartache and heartbreak.

I also have Roberto Carlos on my playlist for when II need a connection to my Brazilian roots that are deep, powerful and filled with profound feelings of love.

SAMBA SOUNDS!!!

OK, SAMBA sounds are for when I need energy, zip, pizzazz, and a get up and go. Samba is in my soul, having heard it from birth and it moves my spirit, touches my heart, and keeps me going. I have more Samba sounds and more Brazilian songs on my playlists than anything else--I love the upbeat sounds of Samba and it gets into my soul. It moves my muse forward at a fast pace, and helps me to be in the zone and in the moment.

Base Fiddle Goddess

I love how the beat and rhythm just get into my inner essence and get me moving with purpose and abandon, be it writing, drawing, creating, or just being in the world. … I just let the Samba sounds take me wherever I am meant to go.

What music fills your spirit, makes you move, and helps you get into the ZONE of writing…What sounds take you away?

Con un pan y cafecito, seguimos adelante

Zulmara

Para que la cuña apriete, debe de ser del mismo palo.

In order to have a good fit, select the right person for the job

*Artowrk for this blog was graciously provided by Mia Ramon an artist on Art by Latina Artists

Interview Your Muse

Interview Your Muse

My Lips are Sealed

Sometimes when we are going through a rough time, personally, professionally, or creatively, it is nice to get in touch with our muse in order to get out of a funk. When the creative juices are not flowing, it is often a sign that the muse needs to pampered or tenemos que cuidar de nosotros mismos, we have to take care of ourselves. Getting you know your muse, also helps you to know what to do when you are ailing. What you need to do to care for yourself. Sometimes the common cold is the cure.

To know my muse is __________

My muse loves ________

What are THREE adjectives that best describe your muse?

1. ____________

2.____________

3.____________

You're walking down the street on a beautiful day; you're feeling good, looking good. What theme song is your muse playing in your mind?

What drives your muse? What feeds her passion?

What truly inspires you when you are one with your muse?
 

Word Association. What comes to mind when your muse sees the following words:

• PERSONAL:

• PROFESSIONAL:

• CREATIVE:

• WRITING:

• INSPIRED PATH:

• LEGACY:
• DREAM:

Con un pan y cafecito,

seguimos adelante

Zulmara

Quien no se arriesga no pasa la mar.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Bate

*Artowrk for this blog was graciously provided by Maria Sanchez an artist on Art by Latina Artists

Is Your Tink in the Pink?

Is Your Tink in the Pink?

Comadres*

When we have one of those incredibly creative days where we are one with out muse, is it just an accident, or have we made it happen by serving and honoring our muse, that inner spirit that sustains our creativity? Can we actually create more of those days of feeling as one with our muse? Could it be that how do we deal with our Pixies, our muses and their idiosyncrasies, those irascible, petulant characters that live with us day and night, makes a difference?

Well, many of my creative friends have very imaginative and inspired ways to pay, honor, and serve their muses.  My personal favorite is to indulge in a mocha hot fudge banana sundae from, of all places, Disneyland.  UUUUMMMM, my muse, after a tough week of work or an especially fruitful day of writing and creating is very pleased when we indulge, even though we try not indulge too often.

Pretty in Pink

On a more regular basis, I renew and charge up and rev up my muse with a walk on the beach…preferably at water’s edge…what a peaceful way of getting in touch with nature and nurturing the inner spirit simultaneously.  I also love spending time in my hot tub, especially after at the end of the day when the night is cool and the water is hot…no better way to rest, relax, rejuvenate, and replenish.
I have many friends, who go to the spa, take a day off to shop at the mall, get a facial, or go out to a nice dinner.  It does not matter how we feed, honor and serve our muses, it just matters that we do it, because when we don’t take the time to replenish the well, the well runs dry and we are out of balance, out of sorts, and nothing feels right, nothing goes right, nothing seems to matter or have a purpose. 

When you are not caring for your inner muse, your inner muse is not caring for you and you begin to feel it…you begin to know it. For those of us who live with a muse, our moods, our ways of viewing the world, our thought processes are an ever mixing intertwined, inter-tangled, inter-meshed web of constantly creating and constantly feeding the hand that sustains us.

My friends who do not have a muse do not know what I am talking about when I say my muse needs to take a walk, or she needs chocolate, or she needs to go out and play with the kids.  They think it is silly stuff, but when Tinker Bell is your constant companion, you know how cranky she can get if you forget to take time to properly thank her for all of the wonderful hours of inspiration, stimulation, vibration, and encouragement she has given.

To better understand how you love, honor and respect your inner muse, reflect on the following:

• When you are at your creative best, what are you doing? What are you eating? What exercise are you getting? What kind of time are you taking for yourself? What music is on your playlist? What sights, sounds, smells, and tastes are you gravitating towards?
• When you are not at your creative best, or feeling out of balance, how are you spending your time? What are you eating? What time are you taking for yourself? What fun are you having in your life?  How are you maintaining balance? What sights, sounds, smells, and tastes are missing?

Verde

Understanding how we serve, honor, and love our muse is the first step in living a life of harmony as creative sentient beings. We need to be able to recognize that our muse needs to honored and pampered in order for us to live in harmony with our creative selves.

Hope your Tink is in the Pink today…

Con un pan y cafecito,

Seguimos Adelate

Zulmara

Hay que aprender a perder antes de saber jugar.

One must learn how to lose before learning how to play.

*Artowrk for this blog was graciously provided by Maria Sanchez an artist on Art by Latina Artists

Honoring and Serving Your Muse

Honoring and Serving Your Muse

reducir el estres le hace*

As creative, sentient beings, we owe much to our muse, that inner voice that inspires us to write, to paint, to draw and to create.  That inner self that calls us to a blank sheet of paper, an empty canvas, a block of wood, or a piece of stone.  That sense of identity that does not allow us to go one day without practicing our craft, which lets us know we are out of balance when we do not honor our craft on a daily regular basis. That inner spirit that lets us know if we are on the right track or not, or steers us into a totally different direction.   It is this muse, this inner friend, internal companion that drives us to have to write, to sing, to draw, to paint, to create, even when we are not feeling well, even when we are not inspired.

Virgen up close*

Now, don’t get me wrong here, I am not romanticizing the muse.  I don’t feel that muses are by any means inspiring us day and night to be the best we can be at our craft…instead, after talking to many creative sentient beings about their craft, their process for creating, and the pain of producing the just right product, I think our muses are the bane of our existence and well as the source of our inspiration and well being.

I tend to think of my muse as a little bit like Tinker Bell…she has a personality of her own, and can be simultaneously inspiring and stimulating, as well as, bratty, and stubborn, and a know-it-all, At times, my muse can even be, are you ready for this…downright argumentative, belligerent, and quarrelsome.

I have been known to have conversations with my muse along the lines of:

“I like this title.”

“No you don’t, you just think you like it, but in reality, you know you need a better one.”

“NO this one is just fine, stop bugging me.”

“Now you know it’s not right and you’ll eventually have to change it anyway, so just listen to me and change it now.”

“No, I like this title.”

“Fine, be stubborn, you know I’m right, that’s why you have that nagging feeling that something is not right.”

Or

“What are you writing, Miguel would never say that.”

“Yes, he would, he just did, see…”

“Yeah, but that’s wrong…doesn’t sound like him.”

“Ok, miss smarty pants, what does sound like him?”

“I don’t know, he’s your character, you decide.”

“You are not being much help here.”

But, then there are days when I get nothing but Pixie dust from my Tinker Bell and I will write for hours, that seem like minutes and the writing flows effortlessly. Those are the days when I know my muse and I are communicating as one.  It is the sort of day that just happens out of the blue…you wake up and you are best friends with your muse and you write 2,000, 3,000 or even 4,000 words and they are all pretty good and you are left feeling like the moon, the sun and the stars are all lined up to make you a success, that the universe is on your side, and that YES, you have chosen the right profession.

Lotus*

However rare those days for those of us who are creative sentient beings, we live for them, we live to recreate them, we are driven, as if in search of a fountain of eternal happiness or that “fix”, that pixie dust of magic that sustains us and keeps us going.     

So I have to ask, are those great days just an accident, or do we make them happen by serving and honoring our muse? When our muse is pampered, are we rewarded?

Con un pan y cafecito

Seguimos adelante

Zulmara

Más hace una hormiga andando que un buey echado.

An ant on the move does more than a dozing bull.

*Artowrk for this blog was graciously provided by Maria Sanchez an artist on Art by Latina Artists

Inspiring Your Muse

Preparing for St. Carmen*

Inspiring Your Muse

What inspires your muse to be the creative, sentient being that is by your side and is always ready to give you guidance and succor that you need? What makes a your muse go from mediocre to divine diva? Sometimes it helps to get clarity on what you see as a truly creative person to know and understand what it takes to inspire and know your inner muse?

To me, a truly creative person…

1. Enjoys the scenery on a detour
2. Finds treasure in the mundane
3. Loves the smell of a new box of crayons
4. Colors outside the lines
5. Runs with wild abandon
6. Finds wonder in everyday happenings
7. Loves a challenge
8. Has perseverance
9. Loves with passion
10. Breaks the rules
11. Makes the rules
12. At times, even follows the rules
13. Has a need to leave a creative legacy
14. Finds solace in soothing music



Grey Gardens

15. Has never met a piece of chocolate that was not loved!!!

How do you know when you are in the presence of a truly creative being?

Con un pan y cafecito,

Seguimos adelante,

Zulmara

El que parte y comparte, se queda con la mejor parte.

He who divides and shares is left with the best share.

*Artowrk for this blog was graciously provided by Erica Rodriguez an artist on Art by Latina Artists