“The most potent muse of all is our own inner child.”
Stephen Nachmanovitch
When I saw “muse”  was the theme of the latest Weekly Photo Challenge I knew the days ahead were going to be full of beautiful photos and posts as bloggers around the world let us peek behind their creative curtains while sharing inspirations and favorite places.  Regular readers know I love living in the Pacific Northwest and write a weekly series highlighting how I find photographic inspiration in the midst of daily life so I want to lead this post in a slightly different direction and talk about the feelings behind these moments rather than a particular view.
Inspiration comes in many forms and often it’s the result of a visual trigger but sometimes a thought during conversation, a piece of music or a well written passage can generate that same sense of excitement and discovery.  That special moment when you recognize the birth of a new idea.  As an adult I compare that singular feeling to care free childhood days when something simple was so fantastic it filled my head and heart with happiness.  These moments don’t have to be big but kids know how to live them to the fullest and creative adults have a knack for remembering that easy joy while translating it into their art.
Of course I couldn’t illustrate this topic without sharing a summer view from the San Juan Islands but my favorite part of this photo is the free-spirited smiles freely shared by Ryan and my niece Emma after a sun filled day at the beach.  They look happy, content and ready for adventure – my favorite kind of muse.
Northwest Frame of Mind 
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