bringing the ancient museum up to date

We think of Electricka as a modern-day muse, as the same kind of muse as one of the ancients brought up to date. Her spirit is the same spirit, but modernized. She's what an ancient muse might be if she had access to electricity, electronics, the Internet, and all the other benefits of the Communication Age.

Electricka's heritage is essentially that of ancient Greece. What's new and different is the power that has been placed at her fingertips—modern technology. We can't help but wonder what the ancient Greeks might have accomplished with their muses, given such power.

At this web site, it's really Electricka who makes things go round, and she knows it. She runs the show at this web site with an iron hand. She's spoiled, domineering, and temperamental. To her, technology is only worthwhile when it serves her; the rest of us are her handmaidens.

putting new muses in the service of the arts

Electricka acknowledges the vast contribution to the arts made by so many in so many ways since the time of Ancient Greece. She knows well that the arts had spread their mantle over the world long before her appearance and will continue to do so with or without her involvement.

Yet, when she considers how much has been accomplished by the Information Revolution in the relatively few years since its inception, she can't help but feel a modest pride. Riding this ever-growing, ever-speeding electronic tide, the popularity of the Arts is now greater than ever before; information about the Arts is being disseminated at an ever-increasing rate. More people in more places are producing, supporting, or disseminating art; more are consuming it.

In fact, Electricka's power is so great, it's almost an embarrassment of riches. She thrills at her prospects for the future, but she also feels anxiety. The Information Revolution has raised the bar: more tools in the service of the Arts mean that there are more ways to succeed or fail in the cause of Art. Great power brings with it great risk and great responsibility.

No doubt, the Information Revolution will continue to gather momentum. But progress in and for the Arts is not a guaranteed outcome. Artistic progress must be nurtured; it must be earned. This is a humbling thought, even for Electricka. With so much at stake, Electricka feels keenly her obligation to nurture the Arts prudently so that more people will benefit more from more art. She strives always to project her power so that people everywhere will reap its full harvest.

Electricka's cohorts—the ancient Muses and their Arts live on

Power is a big responsibility. Electricka's taken on a bog chore, and she knows it. That's why she has enlisted the help of a few well-chosen modern-day muses—her cohorts. They are:

• the Muse of Film

• the Muse of Fine Arts

• the Muse of Language Arts

• the Muse of Literature

• the Muse of Music

• the Muse of Mythology

Electricka has opened her arms to these modern-day muses because they have new expertise, a new vision and a new light to shine, one that complements and completes that of their ancient counterparts.

The older muses of Greece were (and still are) the goddesses of the superlative (and still vital) ancient arts. Their like will never be seen again. The ancients continue to inspire, even though some of them may have slipped into semi-retirement.

The ancient muses are invaluable, irreplaceable. In opening her arms to the modern-day muses, Electricka could not and would not supplant them with contemporary substitutes. At Electricka's web site, modern-day muses do not replace their ancient sisters; they complement and supplement each other. The ancient muses live on.

Electricka expects all of her coterie—ancient muses and their modern-day cohorts—to be at her beck and call. She expects no more or less of her muses than she expects of everyone else. Together, all muses, ancient and modern alike, sound their flutes and reeds.

the many modern Muses and their Arts

Electricka's move got us thinking. There are many more artistic fields of endeavor today than there were in ancient Greece. If Electricka could so easily find, add, and flaunt six new cohorts who inspire today's artistic talent the way their sisters of old did, how many more younger muses are there who could do the same? Could some of these other modern-day muses participate and flourish alongside Electricka at her web?

Who knows? As time goes on, Electricka may enlist more muses like these.