Reflections on the Muse

"The Muses love the morning."  - Thomas Fuller 

That's certainly true of mine.

"I have a promiscuous muse. My muse wants to own every color, work in many media, and in numerous genre."  - Mary Klotz 

That's also true of mine -- sometimes to my despair, and sometimes to my delight.

"Often the Muse will not respond to direct and logical requests. She must be lured in with the playful and gentle."  -- Jill Badonsky 

Indeed. As Kath Langrish said in a previous comment: "It's not a slave, not a servant, it's more like trying to coax a wild thing out of the woods 'to take bread from your hand' - requiring patience, attention, gentleness and a sense of awe."  Yes. Especially the awe.

"Muses work all day long and then at night get together and dance."  - Edgar Degas

A thoroughly delightful idea...and Degas would know.

Above: The studio in the morning light; "The Fairies Do Exquisite Dancing" by Arthur Rackham; and a portrait of a studio muse of the canine kind (who may indeed dance at night when no one is looking).