How Do You Find the Creative Flow?

I asked myself this today. Can you tell I'm in a crisis of sorts? My creative juices are not flowing. I'm questioning all the contexts of my life - how they connect, how they interfere with my creativity or enhance it. So, what is creativity?

In looking for a definition of creativity I happened upon an interesting website and found this statement:

"What separates truly creative greats from those who are less creative is the aspect of persistence. It is through dogged determination that highly creative persons take their energies and translate their dreams into realities. Sometimes this means that they literally breath life into mere wisps of visions and then work tirelessly until these wisps are completed as something that can be viewed, felt, or understood by others. While full appreciation and acceptance of a painting, a poem, a theory, or a cantata, may sometimes take lifetimes, or even eons, for others to see the true value of a work, truly creative giants lives' are marked by their perseverance and continued beliefs in the power of their dreams."

When I think about my creativity, my best creative moments are when I push myself, when I sit at the bench without an idea and look at all my stones, my little odds and ends, my clay and wait for an idea. Sometimes I sit at the computer and look at other people's art. I try really hard to take what I look at as inspiration alone. I never want to copy what someone else has done, but sometimes it does help to have the intent to copy something. The mere act of beginning to copy something somehow brings up a new and interesting twist that is all your own.

Sunday, in the Whole Lotta Whimsy Sunday Social Circle, I asked a group of creatives what they do when they are feeling a dry spell. Many, even most, said the same things... They go to galleries, museums, search the web, etc. Others force themselves to sit at their benches and just start playing with what they have on hand, with no particular idea in mind. And others, they sketch. I personally have a hard time sketching if I haven't anything in mind. I'm not a doodler you see.

So, I guess basically you force yourself to find the creative flow. Like an artist friend of mine once said, you have to develop the muscle. The ideas will come. You must make something creative everyday. Persistence, dear Watson! Persistence!