Every writer has a process, (I'm not kidding.) For me, it's a combination of things. Sometimes it's the words of a song that plays over and over in my head. Then again, it could be a picture, or a movie. Sometimes inspiration comes to me in a dream. And sometimes it when I'm on a Faire day.
I just had my first Faire day of the Season. Bristol is my home Faire, and really the only one I've been to... well that is if you don't count King Richard's Faire, which became Bristol but I digress. Faire is nine weekends, the last being a three day weekend. In that time the wonderful grounds of our Faire come to life with street performers, Royals, shop keepers, and of course the mundanes who pay for most of what goes on. In Bristol you have the show... that's everyone who works there. Then you have the playtrons, (I'm one!) who come in garb. Some are accurate, some are close, some are total Fantasy. Along with the playtons we have the nice people who come to faire but not as part of the fabric or the scenery. They are the wonderful supporters of the Faire, some are long time patrons. They come to enjoy a microcosm of time and space. Bristol where history and Fantasy collide.
Playtrons play off the performers. We hoot the loudest when we go to the shows, and we tend to befriend performers and support them by telling others... you gotta see this show! And it is from here that I get a lot of my inspiration. From the wonderful streets of Bristol, from the sanctuary of the Friends of Faire Garden, from the people who are the populace for nine wonderful weeks.
I get to be part of that magic for just 4 days a season. And I pick my days with great care, and when I go to Faire I go as the Paisley Rose. She takes in everything she can, feeds off the energy and the vibes. She walks the streets and confronts the life of Bristol as if it were her own. This is my safety valve, my sanctuary, my home muse. This is where my inner child goes to seek the path.
But my connection to Faire doesn't end when the season ends. I'm a member of the Faire Family, and I stay connected to family the rest of the year. They keep me grounded, they are supportive, and helpful when I need to ask about things I'm not sure of. They are part of my life, we share the joys and the tears. And that is why Bristol Faire is one part of my muse.