An Introduction
Today the term “muse” is typically used as a flourished shorthand for “inspiration,” harkening back to the Muses of Greek Mythology. But this is a limitation. Within that mythology the Muses were much more than bestowers of creative energy to would-be artists. They had influence over the sciences too (at least, science as it was understood then), and their mother was Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. I would argue the Muses are thus not simply the originators or creativity, but the keepers of it. Inspiring not just the creation of art, but also the ability to appreciate, evaluate, and pass down that art.
Many mourn and crack jokes about how we are in the midst of a media literacy crisis. I think this is both a structural and a cultural issue. Structural in that our current Internet landscape, ruled by algorithms as it is, often punishes more substantive or in-depth takes and posts in favor of Content that can easily fit into whatever the current trend is. And cultural in that it is often looked down on to think too deeply about the current state of art. “It’s just a movie.” “It’s only a book.” Certainly the major outlets encourage this, where art is to be seen more as products to consume, stripped down to component parts that can be mass produced and assembled for maximum efficiency and profit.
The result is a superficial engagement, an endless parade of “___ Ending Explained!”-esque videos and posts designed to win the SEO and algorithm games, or attempts to offer a shockingly contrarian take that requires one to ignore the text and/or subtext of the media in question. Our actual engagement with these pieces has broken down.
It is NOT helped by the push to incorporate generative AI into everything, continuously spitting out pale imitations and reiterations of what others have done. We are losing what inspires our humanity.
It is with that in mind I welcome you to Neglectful Muse, a free newsletter offering essays and writings about film, media, and the contexts in which we create and engage with art. It is a place for me to place my thoughts, and if you find them worthwhile a place to hopefully inspire your own ambitions.
We cannot wait for the Muses to save us, for we ourselves are the Muses. Let’s discuss.