More Than Muses: A Deck of Creative Inspiration from Visionary Women

Draw a card and gain inspiration from 40 incredible women--across art, architecture, dance, literature, and more--whose culture-defining contributions have, until now, been overshadowed by their role as "muses" to history's better-known men.

What does it mean to be someone's "muse"? Historically, to be called a "muse" among artistic circles has been marketed as a flattering title. It is a commendation that most often refers to a woman whose vivacity and beauty are the source of inspiration for a (usually) male artist or creator. This deck, from author-researcher Lori Zimmer and artist Maria Krasinski, repositions 40 of these women--casting them as the main characters of their own narratives and allowing users to draw inspiration from these iconic cultural figures, from "The Mother of the Movies" Alice Guy-Blach? to Modernist designer Eileen Gray, prima ballerina Maria Tallchief, storied Harlem Renaissance editor Jessie Redmon Fauset, and many more. Each of these women advanced the narrative of culture and society, pushing the boundaries of visual arts, dance and movement, commercial architecture, music, journalism, and the performing arts. Whether by historical accident or cruel design, their contributions have historically been overshadowed by those of their male counterparts, and often collaborators.

This set includes:

• 40 full-color inspiration cards. These vibrantly illustrated cards (3 X 5") depict original portraits of each of the inspiring women, and are perfect to display or incorporate into inspiration readings, self-care rituals, or personal artistic practices.
• 88-page, fully illustrated paperback guidebook. This enclosed guidebook features brief, engagingly written snapshots of the women on the cards, each with key information about their lives, careers, and legacies.
• Magnetic closure case. This durable magnetic closure case is perfectly sized for travel or display, and holds the paperback book and cards securely in dedicated sleeves.

Featured women include:

• Amanda Aldridge
• Louise Blanchard Bethune
• Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore
• Leonora Carrington
• Minnette de Silva
• Clara Driscoll
• Jessie Redmon Fauset
• Loie Fuller
• Martha Gellhorn
• Eileen Gray
• Belle da Costa Greene
• Alice Guy-Blach?
• Malvina Hoffman
• Katie Horna
• Lois Mailou Jones
• Miss La La
• Edmonia Lewis
• Neysa McMein
• Hildreth Mei?re
• Victorine Meurent
• Lee Miller
• Lucia Moholy
• Jane Morris
• May Morris
• Na Hye-Sŏk
• Fernande Olivier
• Pan Yuliang
• Ethel Reed
• Aurora Reyes
• Clara Rockmore
• Amrita Sher-Gil
• Barbara Shermund
• Ada "Bricktop" Smith
• Maria Tallchief
• Alice B. Toklas
• Suzanne Valadon
• Rose Valland
• Remedios Varo
• Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven
• Sada Yacco

Author: Lori Zimmer
Publisher: RP Studio
Published: 02/25/2025
Pages: 88
Binding Type: Other
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 5.10h x 3.50w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9780762485406

About the Author
Lori Zimmer is a New York-based author, curator, and amateur historian. She is the author of five books: Art Hiding in Paris: An Illustrated Guide to the City of Light (Running Press, 2022), Art Hiding in New York: An Illustrated Guide to the City's Secret Masterpieces (Running Press, 2020), Logan Hicks: Still New York (Workhorse Press, 2022), The Art of Spray Paint (Rockport, 2017), and The Art of Cardboard (Rockport, 2015). Zimmer is passionate about travel, food, and artists' rights- she consults as an artist liaison in copyright infringement cases for Kushnirsky Gerber PLLC.

Maria Krasinski is an illustrator, designer, and aspiring accordionist. She's worked in public diplomacy, media literacy, and arts education in Chicago, Paris, Tbilisi, and Washington, D.C. Recently, she came in second place on Jeopardy!, where she answered a French art history clue wrong.


Not available to be shipped via Media Mail