Where do your ideas come from?

It's an age old question. I'm sure non-creative people have asked this of artists and creatives for centuries. Millenia even. And while I'm equally sure that I can't answer that question any better than they could, I have decided to at least discuss it here today.

I think it's probably typical for humans to be curious about something they have no understanding of. Human curiosity is a wonderful thing and has led our culture/society to where it is. It's probably one of the greatest attributes we have as a species. So it's no surprise to me that people who aren't especially creative (I ascribe to the idea that every human is creative, just some more than others) would be curious about what drives the creativity of another.

I've been asked the question myself, or variations of it, several times this year alone. The dirty little secret, of course, is that we don't really know either. We know that it happens. We can sometimes know what our thoughts were at the moment the inspiration struck us. But we can only guess as to the source.

Now don't get me wrong. There's hundreds of self help books and "actualization seminars" that can "teach" you to be more creative. They claim to have all the answers because it's good for business of course. For some it even helps. But they aren't handing out road maps that will change every Tom, Dick and Harry into William Shakespeare. Think of it like going to a sports camp as a kid. If you focus and really apply what you learn, you can improve on your skill level. But there's always that one kid that was just gifted more ability than you could ever hope to cultivate. Some people just know their way through the woods.

It's not some formulaic path. Sure, there are tricks and methods that anyone can use to boost their creativity. But it's not science. Those methods don't work the same for anybody and they don't work at all for some. In my experience, the Greek concept of a "muse" may be the most accurate idea out there.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, the Nine Muses of the Greek Mythology were deities that gave artists, philosophers and individuals the necessary inspiration for creation. While I don't ascribe to the Greek religious beliefs, I often feel like my inspiration comes from an outside source. Sometimes when I write, or create anything for that matter, it feels like the end product already exists somewhere and I'm just chipping away until the end product reveals itself in the end. It's this almost spiritual experience at times.

Of course in my experience I attribute the encounter to God. But the Greeks didn't have the same religious beliefs I have so it's completely understandable that someone writing in ancient Greece would attribute the experience to their own religious practices. But when an idea comes to you that's outside of your own normal inner consciousness, you recognize it. Like in Inception, your mind can recognize something that is from an outside source.

It's worth mentioning that not every thing I create is inspired to that degree. But when I'm truly inspired and the creativity is flowing easily, that's the case.

But then maybe it's a subconscious thing and it just feels like it's from somewhere else? Who can know for sure? But I'm glad I'm a creative and am able to be the one on the receiving end of the question instead of the one asking it. Even if I don't think I'll ever have a real answer.