Day 5: Story Telling and Videos

     We began the class by been asked a simple question. What is needed in order to tell a story? That was a question that seemed simple, but soon we realized that it wasn't. I am not really sure if the class is afraid of talking in class or if is just that we could not think of a good answer. After been pressured by professor Moss some started to throw words out on the air. After the class started participating we were able to come out with pieces for the puzzle. I could give you all the words but they are just to many. But here are some examples: plot, beginning, middle, end, characters, settings, plot twists, cliff hangers, rising action, etc ... One of the examples given by the class wasn't something that I heard before, this example/concept was rising action. One of the class mates defined this as "Building on a story with items related to the story to reach a climax." 

     Then we watched to videos from TED. The first video was we saw was from the speaker Amy Tan. She gave a talk about how we create. She gave a background of her life. She said something that to me was funny a monk saying "saving a fish from drowning" that basically if a monk wants to eat a fish they need to save it from dying of suffocation. She also mentioned the Greek muses. Which I knew I heard before that there were ten. I did some research and yes there are nine, but I found were I gotten the idea of ten. I read/heard before this phrase "Sappho of Lesbos was given the compliment of being called "the tenth Muse" by Plato." I WIN.

     Then we saw the talk given by Elizabeth Gilbert. She gave her talk in the fear some artists have about their career and the muse that we all have. She wondered is her best works were already behind her. Also that some believe in having divine creative assistants like the Greeks and the Romans. She mentioned that the poet Ruth Stone believed that when a poem came to one it was in the air blowing like the wind and if she didn't get to a pencil and paper soon it would just look for the next poet to write it down. She made the connection with the word Ole = Ala = God. That made me think then when people are singing ole ole ole in a soccer game they are actually saying god god god? She said she believes in the muse, but that one has to just do the job and not be afraid.

     Then Moss made a weird connection that also made sense. 

              spirit

           inspirit

           inspire

           inspiration

                  ration = a ration of the spirit

                               a piece of spirit

   Then inspiration is actually part of the spirit.

I think then that our muse is actually in us and sometimes it comes out and others it just doesn't. But like Gilbert said in her talk we need to just work and is the inspiration doesn't come out don't be afraid.