A Celebration of Amusing Muses in July

Happy Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard) Month!

By Chris Dunmire

Happy birthday to artist/humorist Jill Badonsky (www.themuseisin.com), founder of Kaizen-Muse creativity coaching and the brilliance who updated the nine classical Greek Muses for our times with names like Aha-phrodite, Bea Silly, Spills, Shadow, Lull, and Muse Song. Oh, and she's added a bodyguard named Arnold for good measure.

Jill's inspiring Muses have been residents of Creativity Portal for several years (thanks to her many excerpts from the book with the same name), but recently have demanded more exposure via their own 'celebratory month' after seeing what we did in May for the Artist's Soul Retreat.

"Not a problem," I assured Audacity and Albert (the ringleaders of the clamoring crowd). "In fact, I think such a celebratory month for you's muses is long overdue."

They suggested July since Jill was born in July — a month that didn't have a name until she came along, they told me (yeah, the month was named after her. I asked what happened with the "y" at the end. "She dropped it after deciding why not," Marge poked in). Then they made me promise to bold their names on this page to make sure each got props.

See the kinds of serious silly these Modern Day Muses incite? That's why we're celebrating the great creative things they inspire all month long. Here's some ways to get started:

1. Reacquaint yourself with the Muses at their profile page.


2. Read a fun ton of their Creative Solutions & Inspirations.


3. Play with Jill's secret Modern Day Muses Map.


4. Subscribe to Jill's Muse Flash newsletter.

You know, Jill has truly gifted us by giving birth to her Modern Day Muses and sharing them with us. Don't you think so? To that I say, thank you, Jilly, for again deciding why not? •

6/29/09