IWD Monday Series - How Do You Get the Muse to Kiss You?

Together with Bettina Nolting from the MENTOR.I FOUNDATION, we explore the history of the Muses and their infamous kiss.

Creatives in every industry long for it—that exhilarating state of mind in which ideas just bubble up, thoughts flow onto the page as if by themselves, and creative work flows unhindered from the hand. This state, which we today like to call “creative flow,” has fascinated innovative minds since ancient times. The “kiss of the muse” has always been regarded as a symbol of creative inspiration. But what lies behind this concept? And can the “kiss of the muse” perhaps even be summoned?

Art historian Bettina Nolting addresses these questions in her lecture “How Do You Get the Muse to Kiss? —A Journey Through the History of Inspiration” on October 5, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at anno 1578 in Lemgo.

Drawing on selected examples from art history and philosophy, the lecture explores the cultural notions surrounding the so-called “kiss of the muse.” Among other things, it addresses questions such as what conditions can foster creative ideas, whether the muse can be deliberately attracted, and why the “kiss of the muse” is not always described solely as a pleasant experience.

The speaker, Bettina Nolting, is an art historian and chair of the MENTOR.I FOUNDATION. In her lecture, she invites the audience to rediscover the history and significance of inspiration from a cultural-historical perspective.

The event is a collaboration between the MENTOR.I STIFTUNG, the Institute for Science in Dialog at TH OWL, and Kreativ Campus Detmold e.V.