Homer and the Muses: The Speech That No Algorithm Can Produce
Why True Words Are Received, Not Produced
The FASO Way newsletter — exploring how to thrive as an artist in the age of AI
We have another post today by Eugene Terekhin, the man and the mind behind the publication Philosophy of Language.
Eugene is a regular contributing writer to The FASO Way.
This article will be locked in two days for paying members only.
Feature Article:
Homer and the Muses: The Speech That No Algorithm Can Produce
Words are breaths. They are born of the Spirit.
We breathe them in and out. When we hear Spirit-borne words, we breathe them in. Once they have taken root within us, they sprout, bear fruit, and are breathed out again.
In modern consciousness, words are merely labels attached to things. In ancient consciousness, they are breaths. They are inspired. If they are not inspired, they are empty.
Uninspired words are not true words. They are counterfeits. True words are always borrowed. They are never our own.
That’s why Homer begins his Odyssey:
“Tell me, O Muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy… Tell me, too, about all these things, O daughter of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them.”
Homer appeals to Calliope, the Muse of epic poetry, a daughter of Zeus. He knows that his lips are about to touch a subject so high and lofty that he needs the help of a Higher Power.
😊 We built FASO to push back against a world that treats art like content and artists like algorithms. Your work is more important than that. The world needs beauty more than ever. If our mission appeals to you, then you need a serious, beautiful home for your art, the details are below, after the essay.
—Clint
If someone aspires to utter words of truth, he must be inspired. Speaking without inspiration is sacrilege. We must breathe first, then speak.
I asked Gemini what a writing process involves. It said:
“A writing process involves a set of steps that a writer takes to create a finished text, commonly breaking down into prewriting, drafting, and revising.”
This is a perfect example of the modern approach to writing: “a set of steps that a writer takes.” For Homer, such an idea would have been sacrilege. Writing is not something we do. God forbid that such a thought should even enter our minds.
A writing process begins with appealing to the Muses – and listening to what they say. Unless I first appeal to a Higher Power and inhale the words of the Spirit, I will never say anything worth hearing.
That’s why AI is incapable of speaking. True speech is inspired. Words that are worth listening to are not produced by computing or calculating; they result from inhaling Spirit-borne speech that comes from above.
Unless Muses speak through us, what we utter is noise. Machines cannot be inspired because they cannot breathe. Electronic words are not words because they are computed, not inhaled and exhaled.
Modern consciousness equates words with markings on a page because modern consciousness refuses to perceive the divine origin of Speech.
It dares to touch the high and lofty without appealing to the Muses. It appeals to electronic algorithms. That’s why we have so much “AI-slop.”
AI-slop is a form of modern-day sacrilege. Attempting to speak without inspiration.
Have you ever heard words that inspire and move?
I heard a song the other day that made me exclaim:
“These are words out of the mouth of God!”
How did I know?
It made me breathe. The words expanded my chest. My eyes brightened. I was inspired to sing along.
The heart knows the difference between slop and beauty. Slop leaves you empty; beauty fills you with ecstasy.
It makes you breathe.
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❤️ Please click the Like button—the little heart icon at the top and bottom—if you believe true art is not merely produced, but inspired—breathed into the world. Your click helps these words reach more artists and art lovers—and helps us better promote the arts to those who need support.
Or, even better, leave a comment: What painting, poem, or song has ever made you breathe more deeply?
PS — Note from Clint: One of the reasons I built FASO is because I believe art is important, artists are important, and the work you’re called to create deserves to be taken seriously. We are all sharing “miracles of existence” through our art.
Yes, at FASO, we build professional artist websites. Yes, we talk about marketing. Yes, we give artists tools to present their work, tell their stories, reach collectors, and sell more art.
But that is the how.
The why is that we love art, and we want to push back against a world that too often treats art like content and artists like algorithms. The modern world denigrates Beauty in preference of profit and efficiency. At FASO, we hold Beauty sacred.
So we don’t just host artist websites. We promote artists. We feature their work. We try, in our own small way, to help more art find the people who need it. And that informs everything we do and build.
If that resonates with you, we’d be honored to have you join us.