The Nine Modern Day Muses: 10 Guides to Creative Inspiration for Artists, Poets, Lovers, and Other Mortals Wanting to Live a Dazzling Existence (Paperback)

~ Jill Badonsky (Author) "French Riviera, two in the afternoon..." (more)
Key Phrases: default thinking, inner brat, modern mortal, Muse Song, Shadow Muse, Spills the Imp (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Artist's Way-inspired teacher and acclaimed workshop leader Jill Badonsky shows how to unblock creativity and awaken the muses of imagination and inspiration in this unique guide to self-expression.

Meet Spills, Bea Silly, Albert, and Marge. No, they aren't TV's latest cartoon characters. They're just a few of the new and improved Muses.

Combining the whimsical and spiritual appeal of Sark with the concrete step-by-step approach of The Artist's Way, The Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard) presents a fresh approach toward accessing your creativity, and is designed specifically for our frazzled and time-sensitive era. Creativity coach Jill Badonsky takes the nine classical Greek Muses and updates them for our time. Along with a little help from their no-nonsense bodyguard, Arnold, they personify ten principles designed to overcome creative blocks and embrace the wonders of self-expression.

Meet Aha-Phrodite, the inspired Muse of paying attention to possibility and new ideas. And Audacity, the uninhibited Muse of the courage to take risks. Lull gives you permission to let go of the process and take a break; Marge brings common sense and a call to action; while nurturing Muse Song sings your praises. Arnold acts as protection against such intruders as discouragement, creativity blocks, and mindless TV. With these and other encouraging, supportive, and practical Muses as your guides, you'll discover how to view your talents and creative potential in a positive light, with passion and self assurance. Each Muse will take you on a journey and share with you:

o Empowering exercises to awaken creativity
o Brainstorming
o Muse rituals to inspire faith and confidence
o Muse walks
o Spiritual affirmations
o Quotes from mortals who've been inspired by the Muses
o Journaling

and much more.

This entertaining, inspirational, and practical book is an indispensable handbook for the twenty-first-century seeker.

About the Author

Jill Badonsky, M.Ed., is a creativity coach, workshop leader, artist, and marketing consultant who is the founder and director of The Muse Is In, an organization devoted to coaching, teaching, facilitating, and marketing workshops and retreats for awakening creativity. She wrote and starred in a one-woman show, I Can't Handle Reality, But It's the Only Place to Get a Good Cup of Coffee, and writes a monthly column on creativity for Blessings, a San Diego newspaper.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Gotham (March 24, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592400086
• ISBN-13: 978-1592400089
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #518,279 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Nine Modern Day Muses, April 8, 2003

By	CherryJane McCormick (Encinitas, California USA) - See all my reviews

This is the freshest guide to open one's creativity & enjoy the world of discovering your true potential. If you often stumble or put-off creative endeavors in your life, these muses will amuse you & pinpoint your block. Once you pinpoint your blockage, the fun words & exercises will knock it out of your way. Enjoy this mastery of Jill Badonsky's cleverness in creating the avenue to your own creativity. The Nine Modern Day Muses is kept on my bedside table to keep my creative juices flowing....which is also now keeping my life flowing. My life is creativity & creativity is now my life thanks to Jill Badonsky's Muses.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Your Own Team of Muses, October 15, 2003

By	Je Sais (Solana Beach, CA) - See all my reviews

If you're looking for your own team of personal coaches, then this is the book for you. Author Jill Badonsky has taken the concept of the nine muses of Greek mythology, and turned them into personalities that resonate in the modern world. The book not only outlines principals for tapping into your creative power, but includes hands-on exercises as well.

Having a writer's block? Call upon Albert who encourages you to try something different. When you're feeling stressed out, then Bea Silly is the muse for you-- she tells you its time to go out and play. If you're worried about what other people think, you need Audacity, or Muse Song, who keeps track of your accomplishments and reminds you of your unique gifts. And when you're sure you don't have enough time to finish that novel, prepare that business plan, or finish that watercolor... Marge will tell you to start with just 15 minutes a day.

Each chapter introduces a new muse, and includes exercises to help you tap into the power of that muse.

One of my favorite muses is Shadow who actually gives you permission to have negative thoughts. From doing expressive drawings of your own shadow, to writing letters expressing your anger, the exercises in this chapter teach you to harness the power of those negative thoughts by channeling them into art or by releasing them.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to live more creatively whether in writing and visual arts or in endeavors such as running a business or raising a family. The principals outlined in this book apply to all "Mortals Wanting to Live a Dazzling Existence." And the best part is, the information is imparted in a fun and whimsical way.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book Worth Reading, April 23, 2004

By	Kay Porterfield - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Despite the catchy title and Badonsky's sense of humor, this book is far from fluff. Because I make my living as a writer, paying rent and buying groceries depend on being able to tap into my creativity every day. Some days are more difficult than others. Some days, if I didn't laugh, I'd cry. This book helped me to lighten up and allow my creativity to flow, rather than trying to force it out of of myself. I loved Arnold, the bodyguard. He reminded me that my tender, young ideas do need protection. I recommend this book to others who create professionally as well as those who are exploring creativity as a way of self expression.