to think about something carefully and for a long time; to be absorbed in thought
From Old French muser 'to ponder, loiter', possibly from muse 'snout of an animal'
The verb 'muse' comes from the idea of an animal sniffing around - just like how we 'sniff around' ideas when we're thinking deeply!
The muse in Western art tradition is almost always female—silent, inspiring male genius, erased as creative agent. This paradigm renders women's actual creative labor invisible while centering their aesthetic appeal.
Use 'muse' carefully; when discussing women artists, center them as creators, not muses. Acknowledge when female artists inspired other artists' work as mutual influence, not one-directional.
["inspiration","influence","collaborator"]
Women who inspired canonical male artists (from Mary Wollstonecraft to Alma Mahler) were themselves brilliant creators; resist muse narrative that subordinates their agency.
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