Nine Modern Day Muses and a Bodyguard, and Jill Badonsky Interview by LA Bourgeois

Let’s welcome back LA Bourgeois as she shares with us “Nine Modern Day Muses and a Bodyguard, and Jill Badonsky Interview .” Enjoy!

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Jill Badonsky’s Creative Childhood

When Jill Badonsky was growing up, she wanted to herd imaginary friends.

“I had one of those childhoods that lead you to be an artist or a writer, and what got me through was my imagination,” she said.

“Knowing the power of having these imaginary friends, my imaginary support system, was what turned into the Nine Modern Day Muses and a Bodyguard.”

This book, now in its fourth edition, anthropomorphizes ten powerful creativity principles into whimsical and wise beings who support us in finding creative fulfillment.

After all, who wouldn’t love to have a conversation with a muse to break through an obstacle?

Much more fun than doing it all alone!

From Book to Coaching System

Badonsky also used these same principles to create her coaching system, Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching.

In this way, she fulfilled her other childhood dream profession, being a teacher of something creative.

Frankly, she’s the only person who I’ve ever interviewed who, when asked “What did you want to be when you grew up?” answered, “I wanted to be exactly what I grew up to be.”

How fabulous!

Inside Nine Modern Day Muses and a Bodyguard

But let’s get to our Nine Modern Day Muses and a Bodyguard.

The book begins with a quick overview and history, plus a list of tools needed for the journey, which include items such as Patience, Joy, and Trust.

We begin with the Bodyguard, guardian of your creativity.

Your bodyguard is here to protect you from the damaging influence of others as well as the ways that you can find to thwart your own creative brilliance.

And here’s a quick introduction to each of the Muses:

• Aha-phrodite: the Muse of Paying Attention, Passion and Possibilities
• Albert: Muse of Imagination and Innovation (the only muse named after a human, Albert Einstein!)
• Bea Silly: Muse of Play, Laughter and Dance
• Muse Song: Muse of Nurturing, Encouragement and Good Company
• Spills: Muse of Practice, Process and Imperfection
• Audacity: Muse of Courage and Uninhibited Uniqueness
• Lull: Muse of Pause, Diversion and Gratitude
• Shadow: Muse of the Dark Side
• Marge: Muse of Okay-Now-Let’s-Get-Started

One of the things that I love about this book is that, when you discover you’re struggling with something, you can simply turn to the Muse who will most easily be able to help you and go in-depth.

Each chapter includes affirmations, journal check-ins, tools, exercises, and even a specific walk to unleash the muse’s energy in your body.

Badonsky covers each principle with an eye to the reader’s holistic wellbeing, and I find that approach very refreshing.

Interview with Jill Badonsky

Badonsky joined me to discuss these muses and what it means to be a thriving creative.

What prompted you to transform these 10 creativity principles into the Muses and a Bodyguard?

I was an occupational therapist in psychiatry.

I’d studied creativity ever since the early eighties, and had a background that fed into my instincts and intuition, which is what the Muses are mostly based on.

I discovered the nine Greek Muses and I had a whole bunch of creativity principles I was gonna personify, and I thought, “Well, I’ll put them into 9 Muses.”

But they didn’t fit into nine muses!

That’s why there’s a bodyguard.

I just intuitively, based on my own creative blocks, came up with these new “modern day” Muses, which really represent self-talk that helps you get through creative blocks and want to be creative.

In your work, which muse do you feel like gets called on more often than others? Or are they all called on about the same?

They all have the same amount of clout, as far as the creative process goes.

But because I work with so many people who don’t think they’re good enough, who are perfectionists, and people who are just really critical of themselves and their work, I work mostly with Spills, the Muse of Imperfection, Process and Practice.

Although Albert helps us think differently about what we’re doing, and Bea Silly is vital for, “So what, I’ll do it anyway!” They overlap a little bit too.

I love all of them.

I don’t want to favor one over the other, because they get really revengeful and then they put marshmallows under my carpet, and it’s just a sticky mess.

How do you define being a Thriving Creative?

Showing up for yourself, making time for yourself and enjoying it.

I think a lot of people are doing what they think they’re supposed to do and should do.

But I think the people who thrive in my world most creatively are following the energy of which idea energizes them the most, and lets them enjoy the process.

If I’m enjoying the process and doing it for myself, the product either takes care of itself, or I just had a blast in the process.

And just making creativity a priority.

If it’s a value of yours, make room for it and time for it.

Don’t be hard on yourself, because it’s impossible to be perfect as a human.

Closing Thoughts

Which Modern Day Muse resonates with you? Leave a comment and let’s chat about it!

Haven’t started the book yet? Pick up a copy of Nine Modern Day Muses and a Bodyguard at your local library, favorite indie bookshop or online!

Our next Book for Thriving Creatives is Wonderbook by Jeff VanderMeer. 

This gorgeously illustrated text is my go-to instruction manual for writing speculative fiction. 

VanderMeer offers an accessible, example-rich approach that emphasizes the importance of playfulness as well as pragmatism. 

It also embraces the visual nature of genre culture and employs bold, full-color drawings, maps, renderings, and visualizations to stimulate creative thinking. 

Grab a copy at your local bookshop, at the library, or online and join us to read Wonderbook!

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ABOUT LA BOURGEOIS

LA (as in tra-la-la) Bourgeois is a Kaizen-Muse Certified Creativity Coach and author who helps clients embrace the joy of their creative work and thrive while doing it.

Get more of her creativity ideas and techniques by subscribing to her newsletter at https://subscribepage.io/unlockyourcreativity.