Modern Day Muses: The Shower

A Muse reading a scroll

Over the weekend, I had the chance to see the new Prometheus movie, and I was wowed with the special effects, technological wizardry, and overall great plot.  Not everyone is gifted with such creative genius as those that can write amazing movie scripts, however there are places that can stir the creative gene and get you thinking in the right direction.  I like to call them Modern Day Muses, and thus named this ongoing series.

Much like the Greek mythological influences that inspired Prometheus, a Muse is also Greek concept classically defined as a goddess that can inspire a proponent of the arts.  Whereas we all know such creatures don't exist, we do see their manifestations in many parts of our daily world.  I give you my first example....the shower!  Yes, the humble shower can be an amazing place to think and gather your thoughts.

I experienced one such creative brainstorming session while showering a few days ago.  I've often desired to be an inventor, but have always confronted a sort of writers block when it came to idea generation.  Then it hit me...a concept for a new type of garden hose (more to come on this invention in a later post).  But more importantly, what is it about a shower that can cause such idea generation? If you think about, entering a shower is sort of like going through some sort of portal into another (cleaner) realm.  Psychologists have classified this as the Doorway Effect, and it usually pertains to forgetting why you were going through that doorway in the first place.  You've probably experienced this before when you enter a room and forget why you where going that way only to turn back around and go back from where you came.  I know I've jokingly chalked it up to just getting older.

It's precisely this idea of forgetting as you walk into the shower that makes it  modern day Muse.  As you enter the shower, you are forgetting all the chores, labors, and concerns that you will fuss about later in the day.  In this brief period of time, it is just you, the soap, and the soothing warm water, and you can truly let your mind wander.  Don't let your mind worry about work in this time frame.  You have all day to think about that.  Instead, use this time to think about things that strike a passion in your life whether it be family, hobbies, or other interests.  This is your time, so use it for yourself.

If you would like to be more creative, try keeping a small pad of paper and a pen in the bathroom next time you take a shower.  You might be surprised at some of the great ideas you will come up with.

Wonderful Moment of the Day = Eating an almond crescent with my wife as we walked through the rain in a local festival.