🎨 What Is an Artistic Muse? + Who Inspired Me as a Young Artist

As artists, we often talk about inspiration. Where does it come from? What sparks that inner drive to create? For many of us, it starts with a muse — that source of energy that stirs our creativity and pushes us to express ourselves through art.

🌟 What Is an Artistic Muse?

Traditionally, a muse is someone or something that inspires artistic expression. In ancient times, Muses were goddesses believed to fuel creativity in poetry, music, and the arts. Today, a muse can be anything — a song, a memory, a mood, a person — that gives us the urge to create.

Before I started painting later in life, I was working with the basics — pencils, crayons, and markers if I was lucky. And sometimes, I didn’t even have sketch paper. Still, that didn’t stop me from drawing.

I enjoyed sketching all sorts of things, but portraits were my absolute favorite. There was something about studying a person’s face and bringing it to life on paper that captivated me.

Here are some of the people I drew the most:

✍🏽 My First Muses: Faces I Loved to Draw

👑 Aaliyah

My number one muse growing up. I drew Aaliyah’s face so many times — her signature beauty, soft features, and effortless cool. She was the first person I felt truly inspired to sketch again and again. (I wish I still had those early sketchbooks!)

🎹 Alicia Keys

She gave me endless opportunities to practice different hairstyles — braids, curls, scarves, you name it. Her soulful expression and natural beauty made her an ideal subject to study.

🕺🏽 Michael Jackson

From his iconic style to his expressive features, Michael was a joy to draw. He helped me experiment with fashion details and facial structure.

🎤 Erykah Badu

Erykah always carried a unique energy. Her bold accessories, intense gaze, and Afrocentric style made her a dream to sketch. Drawing her felt like tapping into something bigger — spiritual, bold, and real.

🎙 Tupac

Tupac had a face full of stories — complex and emotional. Sketching him pushed me to work on expression, depth, and realism. His intensity always came through the page.

✨ More Than Just Faces

Although I drew lots of things, portraits remained my go-to. And I think that love of faces and personality shows up even in my art today — whether I’m painting abstract silhouettes, illustrating emotion, or exploring identity.

Those early sketches were the beginning of my creative journey. They taught me to see beauty, to study emotion, and to express feeling through simple tools.

💭 Who Were Your Muses?

Do you remember who or what inspired you when you were younger? Whether you were drawing, dancing, writing, or just dreaming — we all had sparks that lit our creativity. It’s a good reminder to keep honoring those sparks and nurturing new ones.

🖼️ Inspired by Music & Culture — Shop the Art

A lot of my canvas prints today are still inspired by those early muses — from R&B and hip-hop legends to strong visual energy in modern culture.

Check out my artwork like:

“InspiredBy” – Inspired by bold beauty and classic inked florals
“I Know I Can” – A motivational piece inspired by Nas’s anthem
“Nosey Rosie” – A fun, expressive canvas bursting with personality

👉 Click here to browse the full canvas collection

Let art continue to move you — just like it moved me all those years ago with a pencil and a dream.

🎨 What Is an Artistic Muse? + Who Inspired Me as a Young Artist