Origins of the Muse

Kim and T. wrap up their chat about Horror and where it fit in with their experience with the muse...

In Part 2 of All Things Horror, Kim and T. chat about some of their most memorable experiences and lasting influences with the horror genre in movies, tv, comics and more...

Kim and T. are back after a short break to take on the "beast" as they delve into all things horror-related in the first part of a three parter devoted horror in the 80s.

They symbolize something important and meaningful, or infamous. They are to be admired, and they disappoint. Kim and T. talk 80s cultural icons. The good, bad and ugly. Animal, vegetable and mineral.

What was that feeling? So unsettling, so unnerving. Perhaps the first glimpse of where the creative muse will take you. Was it an earthquake? No, just teen angst. Kim and T. have touched on the angst in nearly every episode so far. This time, they talk about how 80s pop culture, particularly movies, contributed to how teens identified with it. 

“I liked my books and clouds and sunsets.” - S.E. Hinton. How do you get to the core of the teenage experience in all its insecurity, fear and wonder. Maybe the only sincere way is that it be written by a teenager. Kim and T. discuss the book, and film, The Outsiders. Another piece to the puzzle that is The Muse.

The soundtracks for their teenage years were filled with deep, rich, diverse and numerous songs covering several genres. Considering the influences that ranged from hip hop to punk rock and everything in between, Kim and T. attempt to narrow it down to one band for each of them that played a significant role in their individual journeys toward the creative muse. 

Arcade games, pizza, groups of teenagers hanging, deep philosophical talks against a brick wall,  hatchbacks and road freedom. Kim and T. talk about the first hangouts, and their first cars. So put the key in the ignition, pop the cassette tape in the deck and let’s get started. 

You remember that time, when the words jumped off the page and burrowed into your soul. The first time you realized the magic that could reside between the covers. Kim and T. talk about those first books that open their eyes, the looking glass into the imagination written.  

Kim and T. look back to the teenage brand, 80s analogue style. No selfies, no texting, no social media. Exploring persona and individuality through the minutiae of cliques, fashion and musical genre might just find a few of those special moments that contributed to the origins of the muse. 

Did you hear that? Yep, bumps in the night. Scary stories, horror show hosts, paranormal happenings, haunted shores and monstrous legends. In future episodes, Kim and T. will do a deeper dive into some of those darker inspirations that burrowed their way into the creative muse like an earwig. For now, they will drive the tour bus past some of those spooky attractions, circa 1980s.

Considering the origins of the muse wouldn't be sincere without recognizing the fears and anxieties of the time, and their impact on the art. Kim and T. take a look back at the regional and global issues that not only contributed to shaping the Generation X, many of those issues are still around today.

Kim and T.  take a look back at the three very different locales that made up their unique space growing up.  Put a pin on the map, then circle a radius that catches the city of Philadelphia, the Jersey Shore and a wooded mystery called the Pine Barrens, and you have an eclectic geography that sets the backdrop for future episodes and served to open up that creative muse wider to the possibilities. The journey is just beginning. Each episode, like this one, is a freeform conversation about the past in pursuit of those nuggets of inspiration that helped to shape their work.  Everything has an origin story...

Stick around at the end of each episode where Kim will dive a little deeper into one of the topics that her and T. talk about during the episode.

It all had to start somewhere. For podcast producer Kim Selby and author T. Reilly, the origins of the creative muse first sparked inside the walls of the video store, long before everything was on demand. To find that hidden gem of cinematic brilliance, an obscure indie, there was no way to scroll through images on a screen, you had to walk the aisles of small cardboard boxes with enticing artwork. Rows of mini movie posters competing for your attention.So grab your laminated membership card, make sure your late fees are paid up, and take a trip back to when movie magic came from a VCR. And don’t forget to rewind.

From the 80s to the 90s:Host Kim Selby and author T. Reilly talk about growing up outside of Philly, the time, the vibe, and the muse...Join Kim and T., co-workers turned friends who, over time, discovered they grew up a couple of towns away from each other during the 80s and 90s, have similar tastes in film, music, and literature, and had similar experiences growing up in the Philadelphia suburbs. Once they discovered these similarities and shared interests, they decided to sit down every week or so and go back and see if they could find the origins of their creative interests - all through the lens of growing up during that specific time in that specific area.In this introductory episode, Kim and T. give a quick overview of what's to come on Origins of the Muse.