My Mused Has Been Torched

Inspiration is a fickle mistress.

I have no idea who said that originally (believe me, I looked for at least 30 minutes all over the internet and also in my handy book of quotations), but it's true. It's also true, in my case, that if that fickle mistress isn't given regular attention, she's outta here.

I do know who said this quote, however:

Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.

That would be Thomas Alva Edison who pretty much wrote the book on both inspiration and genius.

Lately, the well has been dry. Not bone dry. Not completely blocked. Just down to a trickle. Little pebbles, rocks, stones, placed by small, playful hands have blocked the even flow and have relinquished my beadmaking to a cliche of bead pairs. I have nothing against bead pairs. They're an art form unto themselves; evenly sized beads aren't the forte of a beginner. They're also quite usable in bead designs and make killer earrings. But there's nothing avant garde or inspirational in these bead pairs:

See?

I just started reading The Bone People, a book that is going to change my life, my friend Copland assured me. Well, she just said it was her favorite book ever, but I'm sure that's what she meant. So far I've been very taken with the cover, a little piece of inspiration in and of itself:

I googled the author, Keri Hulme, and an artist one of her main characters mentions, Fujiwara Takanobu, and I googled Maori and aboriginal art. I have no idea what order I did any of this, or how I ended up with this site, but I am now inspired by Colleen Wallace Nungari's Dreamtime Sisters:

Sharon Hayes's Untitled

and Betty Mbitjana's Awelye and Bush Melon

Because, honestly, how could these not inspire you?

For the next few days I'll be putting in the 99% perspiration it takes to flame this inspiration and let you all know the fruits of my labor in my next post.