never be a man’s muse

Power became the crucial factor in understanding my occupation as muse. Musing is foremost an act of creation, and creation is the most formidable act of power. If women are muses, then men are not their artists, but their audience.

https://medium.com/@biancavivion/the-danger-of-being-a-muse-757ba3c9c309

As the patriarchy grew stronger, credit was no longer given to the nine deities, and the power of creativity was assumed by men. The term ‘muse’ was then transferred to the women whom the artist loved, the artist being almost exclusively male. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the power dynamics between muse and creator were warped so much that it was almost one of the requirements of the muse to be left behind.

The creator is always male in these failed attempts, and the woman is often the frail, feminine counterpart that is only revered for her beauty, if revered at all.

women who are inclined to situate themselves in culture are persuaded to be contented and elated in the role of the muse, to distract her from the fact that she herself has such a huge capacity to be the creator.

https://www.tonitruale.com/post/the-necessary-death-of-the-modern-muse