Alas, my time of Greek obsession is over. My summer camp went very well, and now my attention will focus on a new subject. But never just one. I like to explore many topics throughout the year, delving in different depths for each. My focus for the following year will be a long, luxurious process gaining speed as next summer approaches. Along the way, other interests and ideas will ink across my brain, sometimes lasting for one lovely conversation or a month-long read-a-thon. My creativity is fueled by this curiosity. Reading, watching and interacting with the world around me gives me so many sparks that I can't possibly write them all down. What is this force?
I love to learn, and I love finding people like me. I've decided to ask geeks, nerds, and weird-stream people what makes them tick, and why. What set them on their path, and what keeps them going. Why do they get excited over a certain manga, or font type, or leather style? Why do they continually try to find the perfect formula, record the strangest sound, or explore the deepest equation? Geeks get obsessed, and have the intelligence to do something new with the information they find.
Creativity comes in many forms. One of my friends is a physicist who spends a lot of time teaching robotics to children. She is constantly creating new programs, new designs, new ways of presenting this subject. Robotics would not be considered within the realm of the Creative Arts like music, dancing and theater, but the source must be the same. That which makes us reach deep for something that we can't sense in the world- something we have to make exist. Where does it come from? I call it 'The Muse of Nerds.'
So how did I come up with the name, "The Muse of Nerds?" In the Greek world, there were muses for creative people to call upon. Each muse had her own subject. I decided to go with my latest obsession and name this "Muse of..." something or other. But Muse of what?
Muse of History?: On the final day of my Greek camp when we all dressed up, I was Clio, the Muse of History. Technically, everything that has happened is history, and learning about the world could be considered calling on Clio. But history doesn't touch upon the creative aspect that I'm looking for (though one could argue that written history is very, very creative...)
'Muse of Autodidacts' sounds silly, even if correctly used. (Say 'autodidact' three times fast and you sound like you had too much coffee.) Some words may be right, but just not used in everyday life. This is like using the word "thespian" for someone in theater. Yes, it's correct, but when one of the nuns in my Catholic high school approached my group of friends acting out a scene for our play and told us, "What a lovely bunch of thespians!" you can be sure we were quite surprised ('thespian' and 'lesbian' both come from Greek origins, btw.)
'Muse of Geeks' would be the obvious choice, which of course, is why I didn't want it. (Me and my contrary nature are pleased to meet you.) The word 'geek' is so broad. I'm interested in people who become excited about a topic enough to devote huge amount of time and energy, perhaps making it a career. This is not about the person who likes Pocky so much they made a trip to Japan dressed as a giant box of the snack. Wait...I do think that's interesting. (Does anyone know someone who has done this?)
'Muse of Nerds' is the old-school name for geeks. I'm already kickin' it old school with the whole "muse" thing. Nerds imply some kind of learning. Nerds are obessive. Nerds are smart. Nerds make my tongue go numb when I buy a box during a movie. But to be honest, the real reason is because the sound of "Muse of Nerds" somehow reminds me of "Game of Thrones" which I'm currently geeked about. My choices in life generally come down to something like that. (Ask me why I chose my college.)
Look once a month for 'The Muse of Nerds' on explorations and conversations with what makes a geek a Geek- that nameless force that takes us beyond a fan and into the fanatical.
PS. If you know someone (you?) who would like to share their thoughts on their own muse, let me know!
