managing a MUSE
MUSE meeting format
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Starting a Muse
All you need to start a MUSE is a location, a time, and creatives. In honor of the nine Muses, MUSE Portland, Maine meets for two hours nine last sundays a year. Your region's MUSE could meet once a month, less frequently, or more frequently. You could even meet spontaneously, whenever it is convenient for you as facilitator. Other location ideas: churches, community centers, libraries, service organization club houses and lodges, hotel meeting rooms... A space outside a participant's home is best--free from distraction and separate from that participant's work/life environment.
Guest Creatives? Though Guest Creatives are not absolutely necessary for discussion to occur, they are a valuable resource. For MUSE Portland, Maine, Curtis contacts Creatives in her region who are successfully integrating creativity into their lives or are making creativity their lifestyle. At each meeting the Guest Creative speaks for a half-an-hour, about his or her creative process and Q&A follows. However, occasionally, the Guest Creative prefers to have Q&A just after a brief synopsis, allowing the participants to direct the Creative's approach. Sample guest creative contact e-mail.
MUSE Kitty? Curtis suggests to each MUSE Portland, Maine participant that he or she donate $2 at each meeting. The "MUSE Kitty" currently helps with the space sublease and may eventually provide small honoraria for Guest Creatives. Keeping track of any extra money each month should be an easy task, but ask someone to act as the MUSE Treasurer if necessary.
MUSE Recruitment E-mail. Once you have established where and when your first MUSE will take place, you are ready to e-mail prospective MUSE participants. (If you are unsure of a place for your meetings, you could ask your prospects for suggestions, via this MUSE recruitment e-mail.) Curtis sent her MUSE recruitment e-mail to 25 creatives she knew personally. MUSE can be as small or large as you want. Sample MUSE recruitment e-mail.
Monthly MUSE E-mail. Once you know where/when and whether or not you will have a Guest Creative, send your first monthly MUSE e-mail 1-2 weeks before your first MUSE meeting. Sample monthly MUSE e-mail.