Where Would I Be Without My Muse?

Where Would I Be Without My Muse?

by Keith Kareem Williams

One of the biggest complaints uttered from the lips of the creative people often involves a lack of inspiration. Drowning in varying depths of depression and lack of motivation, we wait for something or someone to move us so profoundly that we become energized with that spark that will push our talents to higher heights. For those that are artistically inclined, there is no greater feeling than finding that magical, elusive space to create. We all have different methods and often travel very different roads to get to where we need to be to do great work. There are various forms of outside stimuli that we use to get high and free our minds. For some, it’s narcotics and for others it can be something as common as good sex. (Personally, I prefer the latter.)

I’m somewhat reserved and private, (Some say “secretive”) by nature so I keep the identities of my muses mostly to myself. Over the years, I’ve had a few even though a select few have played a bigger role in my chaotic process than others. The best ones haven’t been bothered by the messy state of my bedroom on most days. (All of the haphazardly scattered items are usually clean but simply scattered about haphazardly.) Why waste time organizing closets and dresser drawers when I can spend that energy fixing chapters, paragraphs and holes in my plots? None of the best muses I’ve had ever complained about the numerous pages torn neatly from my notebooks and notepads spread all over the bed like autumn leaves that fell from the limbs of trees, covered with the inked ramblings of my disorganized mind. My favorite muses have scavenged through those pages, ravenously devouring everything I wrote with passion and excitement. That only inspired me to write more in order to satisfy their appetites.

There isn’t much joy in spending time with a woman who can’t show you things about life in ways that you’ve never seen them before. Things become stale and predictable if she doesn’t inspire your thoughts to ride on tracks that lead to places unknown. The simple act of watching her sleep sparks ideas in your mind about what she might be dreaming of. I’ve encountered a few that wanted to be muses but, it’s not the sort of thing a person can be if they aren’t. I’ve learned that me being inspired by a muse is a natural occurrence, like falling in love at first sight. A thing like that doesn’t follow logic and it certainly doesn’t make sense to anyone but me. All the same, no matter who comes and goes, I have one person that I consider my supreme source of inspiration and we don’t always speak, (for various complicated reasons) but thoughts of her always move my pen.

Copyright © 2015 Keith Kareem Williams

All rights reserved.

The Social Media Fishbowl

Social Media Fishbowl

By Keith Kareem Williams

Once upon a time, we fought fiercely for our right to privacy. Then, they gave us all phones that keep getting smarter, equipped with cameras along with the ability to record and ironically, we put ourselves in the fish bowl. Almost every aspect of our lives is on display because we voluntarily share EVERYTHING; sometimes carelessly and more often than not, recklessly. The shameless pursuit of “likes,” “views” and followers encourages us to invite strangers into the most intimate type of show; the kind that we would have shuddered to be forced to showcase just one generation ago.

The beauty of social media is how connected we all are because of it. We don’t have to lose touch with family that we only see for the holidays or friends that have moved away. It feels like we are all neighbors and in a way, I suppose we are.

The tragedy of social media is the way we often treat our most important relationships dismissively as if they are all disposable. An argument in the morning between two people that genuinely love each other becomes a tweet, or status update and by the evening, a three ring circus with the entire world sitting in the stands, giving their opinions and eating popcorn giddily as two people do their best to hurt each other. It’s hard to “kiss & make up” when 15,000 followers are encouraging you to “fight & break up.”

There are many aspects of my personal life that I share on a daily basis but there will always be things that I keep as far away from the social media sphere as I can. All disagreements, fights and conflict between my woman and I will always be hidden from the public eye. No one will ever see subliminal shots being fired back and forth between us in the form of copied quotes or hypothetical questions. I speak of my children often but not every detail about them is meant for the rest of the world. Trust me, I’m in the social media fishbowl just like almost everyone else but, I’m that fish that sometimes remains hidden in the ruins of the algae-covered ruined castle or the air bubble-spewing sunken ship.

Social media is fun, informative and entertaining but, I still believe that it’s important to protect parts of your privacy, for your own sake, your happiness and your peace of mind. If you give everyone everything about you, what’s left for the people close to you, holding your hand through life?