“In teaching it’s not stealing, it’s borrowing.” — Someone in DSD

As artists/creatives, there are a million things that go through your head a day. It can be a blessing or a curse. Why? Because there’s so much sitting inside of you, waiting to come out. And sometimes that idea is sitting there with no muse or core focus of your idea. That’s okay because as creatives, we are fortunate to have access to platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, and more to help us develop inspiration or a direct muse.

So, what is a muse? It is not the Greek goddess, but a foundation. For example, the muse/inspo of Cowboy Carter is taking Black genre essentially without focusing on the deeper meaning. Your deeper meaning comes from the core idea. 

Think about the parable in Matthew 7:24–27, where Jesus describes a wise man building his house on a rock. When storms came, the house stood because of its foundation. In contrast, the foolish man built on sand, and his house collapsed. In the same way, our creative ideas need a solid foundation — a muse, a core inspiration — to stand strong. Without it, our work risks crumbling like a house built on sand.

How to not have a sand foundation: 

1. Random ideas pop up in your brain.
2. Find inspo/muse: What other art forms like this have I seen?
3. Create a mood board, a mind map, or fill out our Cre8tive Formation Handout based on what you saw.
4. Make it yours. Use your mood board, mind map, or our Cre8tive Formation Handout to develop your muse/work.
   

Mind Map Example: Using Cowboy Carter

Using these steps can help you grow as a cre8tive person and build a strong foundation for your project. If you are looking to grow as a cre8tive, you can download these free templates down below. 

Sample Lyf3 Playlists