I am fairly certain that I’ve been a fan of Charles de Lint since sixth grade.
My dad would tell me stories (often in great detail) about the strange happenings at a mysterious place called the Tamson House. Owned by an independently wealthy and eccentric gentleman named Jamie Tams, the house served as a sanctuary for wanderers, artists, musicians, and the occasional un sorcier, all while straddling the thin boundary between our realm and the realms of legend.
Those stories sparked my curiosity and encouraged me to seek out more of de Lint’s work. Eventually I discovered Memory and Dream, which contains the quote that inspired my online identity, Muses Fled:
“One expected growth, change; without it, the world was less,
the well of inspiration dried up, the muses fled.”
The phrase struck a chord with me. Creativity isn’t a constant state of inspiration; it ebbs and flows. Sometimes your muse arrives unannounced. Sometimes they disappear entirely. Complacency, lack of curiosity, and stagnation are the enemy – it’s important to continue to create even when we don’t “feel like it.”
If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of delving into the world of urban fantasy, might I suggest that you allow one of Charles de Lint’s novels be your guide. A few of my personal favorites include:
- Moonheart provides a great introduction to all the wonders of the Tamson House. Sara, Jamie Tams’ niece is being hunted by an ancient evil that is searching for an enchanted ring she discovered while cleaning out a dusty corner of her Uncle Jamie’s curio shop.
- Into the Green chronicles the life of Angharad, a tinker who’s been gifted with the Sight, and with the help of two witches (Woodfrost and Garrow), learns how to use her Sight to see “into the green” (the realm that belongs to the fey).
- Memory and Dream introduces us to Isabelle Copley, an artist who has turned her back on the gift to bring to life the images she painted, after that very power unleashes tragedy upon her loved ones.
- The Onion Girl paints the story of Jilly Coppercorn, an artist who becomes the victim of a hit-and-run driver, after which her happy life as a popular Newford artist comes to a screeching halt. With half of her body, including her painting hand, out of commission and the promise of a long and difficult recovery, she suffers intense depression. Her dreams, which have been her only means of escape, also become a source of great peril when she enters the dreamland of Mabon.
These stories shaped my imagination in ways I still feel today.
Muses Fled is my small corner of the internet where creativity continues, even on days when inspiration seems far away.
✦ ✦ ✦